Officials with the Grande Prairie Salvation Army are pleading with the public to come forward with their time, as a lack of volunteers is hampering the 2019 Red Kettle Campaign.
“Last year we were able to manage, but this year we are really in desperate need,” says Captain Peter Kim. “We haven’t been able to open up some of our kettle locations because we haven’t had enough volunteers.”
The Salvation Army kicked off the campaign on November 13th, with the highest goal in the organization’s history of $525,000. Kim was optimistic about the high goal, as last year more than half a million dollars was donated. However, the lack of boots on the ground is putting the goal in jeopardy.
“For November, we cut down our shifts to 6 o’clock rather than 8 o’clock, again due to a lack of volunteers.”
As of November 28th, Captain Kim says a total of $110,017 has been raised, with $76,372 of that coming from the red kettles around the city. He adds anyone is welcome to join, and he is hoping that the age groups interested will be diverse.
“For those who do have time, and we greatly appreciate the seniors, but we also want the next generation to come and join us.”
To volunteer, people can call 780-538-2848 to be scheduled for a two-hour shift.