THUNDER BAY — The Salvation Army of Thunder Bay has set an ambitious $260,000 goal for its annual Christmas Kettle campaign.
The target is $25,000 more than the goal set in 2021, and $42,000 more than the $218,000 the campaign delivered last year.
Gary Ferguson, executive director at the Salvation Army’s Journey to Life Centre, said the need is greater than ever.
“I think the community has seen a lot of hardship over the last year and it’s important because we’ve seen numbers increase in our soup van, numbers increase in our shelter, numbers increase in our food bank,” Ferguson said.
“The funds that we generate from the kettles will be used to subsidize these programs.”
Ferguson said he’s confident the city will come through this year, knowing there are so many people in the community struggling to put food on the table or cover rent.
“In the past we’ve been very close to achieving the goals and we have surpassed our goals. This year I’m hoping that the community can find it in their hearts to help us with these programs. Definitely there is a need in our community,” Ferguson said.
Newly elected Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff, who has spent plenty of time in the past volunteering to collect donations during the kettle campaign, promised to be out again this year asking the public to help the Salvation Army raise the money it needs to operate.
He said Thunder Bay is known as the city with the giant heart for a reason.
“We always seem to rise to the occasion when there is a need,” Boshcoff said. “That actually inspires more people to do more, as well as the elected people to put their hand in their pocket.
“I have been doing this since when the winters were cold here. I know from Rotary and volunteering for different organizations, when people come forward, they’re doing it because they care, and that to me, as an elected rep, is very inspiring because it makes you recognize that the need is there and people understand it.”
The campaign received an early boost from a pair of donations made at Thursday’s launch. The Fort William Rotary Club turned over a cheque for $10,000, Ontario Power Generation chipped in $6,000 and Pop’s Kettle Corn gave $5,155.
“With rates of poverty rising, we know that Salvation Army’s programs will make aa positive impact on some of the most vulnerable in our city,” said Fort William Rotary past president Stephen Margarit.
Kettles are located throughout the city, including Intercity Shopping Centre, Real Canadian Superstore, and Walmart’s three Thunder Bay stores from now until Dec. 24. They’ll be located at LCBOs at Arthur Street, Dawson Road and the Thunder Centre from Dec. 1 to Dec. 24.
Once again, donations can be made with cash or by tapping a debit card in $5, $10 and $20 amounts.
