The Salvation Army is asking the public for support this Giving Tuesday. The organization, which has a presence in nearly every ZIP code in the country, relies on donations from the public to support life-changing programs for nearly 24 million people in the United States each year.
In 2022, The Salvation Army saw requests for assistance increase anywhere from 10% to 40% in some communities. This year, based on the rise of evictions over the past 11 months, the organization expects the number of requests for assistance could increase another 13% or more. Despite rising operational expenses, The Salvation Army remains committed to its mission to meet human needs without discrimination, no matter the cost.
“Every day, millions of families struggle to make ends meet. Whether it’s a single parent who needs child care while they are working or an individual who just needs a safe place to sleep, every person deserves to have their basic needs met,” said Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, national commander of The Salvation Army. “At The Salvation Army, people who come to us for assistance are served according to their needs and our capacity to help. That’s only possible thanks to the generosity of our donors.”
Last year, donations to The Salvation Army helped the organization to:
- Keep 3.1 million families in their homes and the lights on.
- Provide more than 155 million meals and 8 million nights of shelter.
- Help 600,000 disaster survivors and first responders access food, shelter, and emotional and spiritual care.
- Give over 550,000 children a safe place to play and learn at summer and day camps.
With the depletion of federal aid programs, the organization expects nongovernmental providers of social services will be in greater demand. One study by The Century Foundation found that the end of pandemic-era funding for child care will impact 3 million children, making fundraising even more critical this year.
“When you give to The Salvation Army this Giving Tuesday, you make a difference in millions of lives across the nation and in your community,” said Hodder. “However you choose to give, if you drop a donation at a Red Kettle or adopt an Angel from our Angel Trees, we thank you for loving your neighbors this Giving Tuesday and beyond.”
The following options are available for those wishing to support their neighbors in need:
- Donate with cash, coins, and checks or digitally with Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo at any Red Kettle across the country.
- Provide Christmas gifts to children of local families in need through The Salvation Army Angel Tree. You can also contact your local Salvation Army about volunteering to distribute donated Angel Tree gifts.
- Contact your local Salvation Army to sign up to volunteer at a Red Kettle.
- Sign up for a sustaining gift of $25 a month at give.SalvationArmyUSA.org.
- Give any amount by texting “KETTLES” to 51555.
- Donate cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Visit SalvationArmyUSA.org to learn more about ways to support and give this holiday season.
