MAJOR PAUL JAMES
Salvation Army of Reno County
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Salvation Army of Reno County has ended the 2024 Red Kettle Campaign and the count is in. After just over 30 days of bell ringing, it has all come to a close. The Salvation Army has counted the last bucket for the year and for the goal of $80,000 they raised $76,896.24.
Major James said, “We are always humbled by the generosity of so many volunteers who ring each year, and those who give.” The Salvation Army’s iconic Red Kettle has been around since 1891 when Salvation Army officer Captain Joseph McFee wanted to provide a free Christmas dinner to the poor of San Francisco. This year was no different here in Reno County where The Salvation Army gave out toys to over 1100 children who were registered to receive toys, and even families who didn’t meet the cutoff date were able to come the next day to select from the toys that were left. There were also over 900 families who received a Christmas meal in a box. After 133 Christmases, the spirit of The Salvation Army is to meet the needs and to bring hope to those who need it the most.
The Red Kettle Goal is only $80,000 of the overall goal. “We have about $94,000 left in order to reach our budgeted goal. This is behind where we were last year, and we fell short of our budget at the end of the fiscal year. We really need the community’s support to help those in need this year”, said Major James. With 3 weeks left in January you can still help make a difference regardless of the size of donation.
You may drop your donations off at The Salvation Army’s office located at 700 N Walnut, or send your donations in their return envelopes from their mailers. Please call Major James at 620-663-3353 with any questions on how to donate or if you’d like to make an online donation.