Salvation Army Prepares for the Holiday Season
Businesses, organizations and individuals are encouraged to get involved.
he Salvation Army of the MidShore seeks support from businesses, community organizations and individuals as they prepare for their holiday season assistance programs. While the The Salvation Army offers hope and help to our neighbors in need throughout the year, the holiday season is their busiest time when community support is needed the most.
For the December holidays, the Salvation Army sponsors two programs to make the season brighter for those in need: Angel Tree Adoptions and the Red Kettle Drive. The Angel Tree Adoption initiative seeks to provide Christmas gifts to underprivileged children in the five counties that consist of the Upper and Mid Shore. The Salvation Army identifies children in need and shares their “wish list” with community members by placing their information on Angel Trees at businesses, churches, and other locations. Organizations and businesses are encouraged to sponsor an Angel Tree at their location or commit to supporting a specific number of children in the Angel Tree program. Individuals can also participate by choosing a child to support from an Angel Tree in their area.
The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Drive is one of the most recognized Salvation Army Programs and one of the most popular charitable programs during the holidays. Red kettles are placed outside of local businesses throughout the holiday season to raise funds for year-round assistance programs including disaster relief, housing and homeless services, veterans services, elderly care and much more. Organizations and businesses can sponsor a kettle and/or schedule their members to ring the bell at a kettle in their area.
“We hope that our friends and neighbors will partner with us this holiday season to make this time of year a little brighter for those in need,” comments Major Brooks Gilliam, corps officer at The Salvation Army of the MidShore. “The Salvation Army is always in need of volunteers to support our initiatives year-round, but our needs are always greatest at this time of year. Through our Angel Tree and Red Kettle Drive we expect to distribute Thanksgiving dinner cards to 700 families-in-need and at Christmas we project providing a Christmas dinner for 700 families, gifts for over 1,200 children and gifts and assistance for over 275 seniors.”
For a list of Angel Trees in your community and/or to learn more about how to get involved in the Red Kettle Christmas Drive, please contact The Salvation Army of the Mid and Upper Shore at 410.228.2442 or email [email protected]
About The Salvation Army of the MidShore
The Salvation Army is affiliated with the universal Christian church and has been supporting those in need without discrimination for 130 years. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a broad array of social services such as providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. The Salvation Army of the Mid and Upper Shore has served Dorchester, Talbot, Caroline, Kent, and Queen Anne’s Counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore since 1913. Monetary donations can be made by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY; sending a check to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 91, Cambridge, MD 21613; or visitinghttps://donate.salvationarmyus
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