Thousands of donated gifts distributed by the Salvation Army

The Twin Cities Salvation Army will pack its red kettles up Christmas Eve, but it says it will do so $3.4 million short of its $11.6 million goal. Thornes, a Princess Anne resident, explains this has not been an easy year for herself and her family.

Rob Whitney said the organization sits at about 82 percent of its fundraising goal. “I believe more than the police (that) God is going to deal with that a lot more harshly”.

“You’re literally taking food and resources out of the mouths and lives of the people who are the neediest in our town”, Chapman said.

“It got a little bit skinny for a couple, three years”, he recalled.

“One of the really wonderful or troubling things we’re seeing is that nearly half of the people that are receiving a hamper this year are actually working”, said Mac Kenzie. “They are holding down jobs but they’re still not able to meet their basic needs”. “Usually when people write checks it ranges from $20 to $100, but never before that big”, Sheperd said of the woman’s donation.

Families that were a part of the program also brought home a box of food purchased through monetary donations collected by the Lower Eastern Shore Salvation Army.

A volunteer with the Salvation Army was ringing her bell Wednesday at the Somerset Plaza in Nashua when someone dropped a wadded-up dollar bill in the kettle.

“You young folks have a safe and enjoyable Christmas”, he said.

“Wayne could have been anywhere today, but they chose to come to Kokomo and put back in the community, and that money stays here locally with The Salvation Army and goes to help people in Howard County, specifically people here in Kokomo”.

For over the past six years Delores Brown has made music and friends outside of the Belk store by being a Salvation Army bell-ringer. Each family received toys and a Christmas dinner courtesy of the Salvation Army.

“Sometimes, you can’t physically see that need because the Town of Gander doesn’t have a large homeless population but the poor are still very much there and coming to us looking for help”.