By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson Salvation Army is looking for a strong finish to bell ringing this week.
"Our overall goal is $400,000 and we're about 44% of the way to that, 45% of the way to the goal," said Maj. Paul James. "Kettles, we're only a little over $7300 away, I think. We have it posted on our signs how much further away we have for that goal."
They were able to help more people than had originally signed up for both food and toys this week.
"I think we ended up going a little bit above and beyond that," James said. "The food bank was a huge help with just helping us with meat. We gave above and beyond what we had planned for just families coming in. Toys, I had mentioned earlier this week that, I mean, the community really responded to that and so we've been able to help a few stragglers that have come through and for whatever reason, they thought they had it taken care of and then they realized that they needed some help."
The need is still great, but the community has really come together to help.
"We saw a lot more people volunteering their time with the distribution," James said. "They were getting things ready with the food baskets or getting the toys bagged up by family, the day of the distribution, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we distributed those things. It's nice to be able to see people come together. I think people are really overwhelmed. I think they get more fulfillment out of helping other people than the families, sometimes, that are coming in with the need."
Bell ringing continues until Christmas Eve at 5 p.m. The fundraising for the overall goal goes through January.