TRURO, N.S. — Sally Ann is looking for a little help.
The Salvation Army’s Christmas Kettle Campaign is set to begin Nov. 23, and event coordinator Melody Patriquin said she is hoping to attract at least 100 volunteers to assist with manning the kettles at various locations.
“Times are hard for people and we hope to try and make things a little easier for folks who are struggling day today,” she said.
Patriquin said there are a total of 1,056, two-hour shifts to fill throughout eight locations within Truro during the campaign. Local legion members have volunteered to cover 170 those shifts, at Walmart and the Truro Mall, leaving 886 more to fill. The other six kettle locations are both Sobey’s stores, the Atlantic Superstore and the accompanying NSLC, Giant Tiger and MacQuarrie’s Pharmasave on the Esplanade.
In past years, Patriquin said, it has mostly been elderly volunteers who have manned the kettles and she would like to see younger faces giving those people a break.
“My Christmas wish this year is that younger people would volunteer to help with the kettle campaign,” she said.
Last year’s kettle campaign raised $68,000, “which we were really pleased with.”
This year’s goal is $70,000.
“That money runs our family services program for people who are looking for assistance,” she said. “And because of that money we are able to assist them with food or clothing or sometimes other financial obligations that they have that they just can’t meet.”
Some people also ask for funding assistance to cover their rent but Patriquin said there just isn’t enough money in the coffers for those requests.
Overall last year, more than 800 families in the Truro area received assistance from the Salvation Army for such things as food, clothing, children’s needs, power and medical bills and to send children to camp. Donations to the Sally Ann are also used to fund programs such as the Tuesday morning Community Café, which provides an opportunity for people to get out of the cold and have a bite to eat.
“We will also host a turkey Christmas dinner for those who use the café this year,” Patriquin said.
The Salvation Army is also involved in the local Christmas Index program during which it will assist more than 100 families with a full Christmas hamper of food and toys for children.
Anyone wishing to help can drop into the Sally Ann office at 14 Outram Street or by calling 902-893-3042.
