Bath resident and The Salvation Army volunteer Amy Bennett rings a bell outside of Walmart in Brunswick on Thursday. C. Thacher Carter / The Times Record
The Brunswick-Bath area Salvation Army took part in the annual Kettle Blitz Day Thursday despite a reportedly challenging year for its signature fundraising event.
According to Brunswick-Bath Salvation Army Lt. Neil Childs, as of Thursday, the annual kettle drive, which runs from Black Friday through Christmas Eve, had raised just over $16,000 toward a $60,000 goal. Childs said that puts them about $15,000 behind this time last year.
“I know that speaking with many of the officers in the division that the biggest problem that we’ve had this year is finding people to man the kettles, to get out and ring the bell, basically,” said Childs.
The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that provides social services and operates retail stores selling donated goods. The Salvation Army reports a membership of roughly 1.8 million and helps 30 million Americans annually.
In 2020, the local branch raised $53,000 toward a $70,000 goal. The funds go to The Salvation Army social services that exclusively help 19 communities in the Midcoast. Examples include rental, heating and utilities assistance, funding a food pantry and an anti-human trafficking program.
The Kettle Blitz Day, which is in its eighth year, is an annual competition among Salvation Army branches in Northern New England to see who can raise the most funds, with the winner receiving an extra $2,000 from headquarters. The signature red kettles have been used for fundraising since the early 1900s.
This year’s donation shortfall extends further than just Brunswick-Bath branch. The Northern New England division, which covers Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, is roughly 30% behind its goal of over $1.7 million.
The labor issue is not exclusive to The Salvation Army, as other businesses and organizations throughout Maine and the U.S. are also experiencing a shortage of employees fueled by the pandemic.
On Thursday, three individuals went out with the kettles – one of whom was a volunteer. Childs said a full staff, which in years past is typical for Kettle Blitz Day, is seven.
Another angle of Bath resident and The Salvation Army volunteer Amy Bennett ringing the bell outside of Walmart in Brunswick on Thursday. C. Thacher Carter / The Times Record
“For me, this year, when COVID hit, I’m a mom and I had to quit my job. We went and we lost a lot of income, and they were there for me. I mean in terms of food, in terms of just support, in terms of just helping us supplement like what we could because of the loss of income and having to homeschool our kids,” said Bath resident Amy Bennett, a volunteer who was ringing the bell outside of the Brunswick Walmart late Thursday morning. “So, the reason I choose to do this, is to give back.”
Bennett began volunteering a little over a year ago with the Salvation Army and said before that she was familiar with the organization from work in the social service field. Thursday was her fourth stint volunteering during the red kettle campaign this year.
“All charities I think are struggling right now, and Salvation Army is not immune to that,” she added. “A dollar, whatever people can give, is so helpful and will be used right here in the community.”
On the way out of Walmart, Freeport resident Jim Gillen and Rockland resident Rashell Thompson chipped in a few dollars on Thursday, a decision both said was particularly worthy in light of the pandemic.
“It’s been a very difficult almost two years, and I just wanted to help people less fortunate during this season,” said Gillen.
“I think we should always try to treat others the way we want to be treated,” said Thompson. “Everybody goes through rough times and with the pandemic, and prices going up in stuff it’s more important than ever to give something back.”
In October, after a series of temporarily closures, Brunswick’s Salvation Army thrift store closed permanently after 18 years of operation. Staffing problems were previously reported at the location, and The Times Record stated that the decision to close the store happened after a financial performance review.
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