The Salvation Army of the MidShore is in need of additional financial donations this holiday season. While donations to the highly visible red kettle drive are on pace with last year, the organization has reported that overall giving is down 20% and requests for holiday assistance are up by 21%.
The Salvation Army expects to serve 700 families this holiday season, but is concerned about their ability to meet that need as continued economic hardship has affected donors’ ability to give. To date, utility and rent assistance funds have been depleted due to increased requests for support.
“With the economy as it is and following Hurricane Sandy, there are many suffering right now,” comments Major Brooks Gilliam of the Salvation Army of the MidShore. “We are very grateful to all who have and are supporting The Salvation Army this Christmas season and encourage others to give and help us help to those in need.”
The Salvation Army also encourages community members to consider giving after the holiday season into the New Year as those in need will continue to require assistance, especially during the winter months.
Donations can be accepted via the Online Red Kettle at www.onlineredkettle.org/salarmymidshore or mailed to P.O. Box 148, Church Creek, MD 21622-0148.
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 visiting https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/ and specifying Cambridge, MD. Gifts in kind can also be given by contacting The Salvation Army at 410-228-2442.