The Salvation Army of Milwaukee County is kick starting its Red Kettle Christmas Campaign today with a goal to raise $3 million dollars to support more than 80 programs and services including meals to the homeless, care to seniors and veterans, and emergency shelter and emergency disaster relief.
The campaign features Red Kettle bell ringers collecting donations at local businesses through Christmas Eve. Donations can be made through Jan. 31, 2013, online at http://www.samilwaukee.org/, by texting ‘Give’ to 80888, by scanning the Salvation Army QR code with a smart phone or by mailing funds to The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign, P.O. Box 26019, Wauwatosa, WI 53226.
This year’s campaign will also feature a benefit concert performed by Frank Sinatra, Jr. at the Pabst Theater today.
Major Roger Ross, Salvation Army Milwaukee County Commander, said the Salvation Army must rely on the generosity of community members’ donations to keep up with the number of Milwaukee-area families in need of support.
“The economy is slowly repairing, but many families continue to experience tough times,” Ross said. “We’ve seen a significant increase in the numbers of people coming to us for help, especially new families, never before needing help.”
Businesses interested in serving as bell ringing locations or having their employees participate in bell ringing can find more information at http://www.samilwaukee.org/.