The Salvation Army Winnipeg Christmas Kettles Meet $385,000 Goal

by jmifsud
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    Winnipeg, MB – The Salvation Army in Winnipeg would like to express heartfelt thanks and gratitude to all its supporters for helping meet its Christmas Kettle goal of $385,000 in Winnipeg.

    “Once again our supporters have proven they are indeed among the most generous in Canada,” says Captain Les Marshall, The Salvation Army Prairie Division, “Our total for funds raised during our Christmas Kettle campaign this Christmas was $385,062.09.  We sincerely appreciate the support and are humbled by the confidence Winnipeggers have shown in investing in The Salvation Army.  This investment empowers The Salvation Army to ensure everyone in our community has access to life’s basic needs.”

    Prior to Christmas, there were concerns that The Salvation Army would not meet its $385,000 Christmas Kettle campaign goal.  In fact, just seven days before the Christmas break, The Salvation Army was $150,000 below reaching that goal.  However, a Christmas Miracle did take place with many people coming forward to respond to the need expressed by The Salvation Army.

    “After alerting our supporters of our possible shortfall in donations,” explained Captain Marshall, “we witnessed a surge in donations.  For example, one group who called themselves the Victoria Beach Carollers dropped by and gave a donation of $751.63.  Others dropped by with donations of $10, $20, $100 or more.  Each amount pushed us a little closer to our goal.”

    The Salvation Army also received a great boost in its efforts to meet its goal with a significant donation made by Manitoba philanthropists, Kirby and Marie Fontaine.  These generous people had been making their way around the city of Winnipeg during the Christmas holidays making donations to local organizations who assist those in need.

    “We are deeply grateful for the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Fontaine,” states Major Chris Dickens, Executive Director of The Salvation Army Booth Centre, “their $50,000 donation will go a long way in enabling us to continue to give hope to those who find themselves without permanent housing.  Without their generosity, we would have faced a significant challenge in being able to meet the needs of our clients.”

    Each year The Salvation Army in Manitoba provides more than 400,000 meals to those who may otherwise go hungry, shelter for more than 400 people without permanent housing, gifts and hampers to more than 15,000 children needing hope at Christmas, skills training and employment support to new Canadians and the unemployed.

    We thank all those who gave to The Salvation Army during the Christmas season and for supporting its annual Christmas Kettle campaign.  When you support The Salvation Army, no amount is too small and every gift makes a big difference in the life of a person in need.  Thank you.

    The Salvation Army Prairie Division goal was set at $1.5 million.  During the Christmas Kettle campaign, the Prairie Division raised $1,546,163.01.