The COVID-19 pandemic is playing the role of the Grinch this Christmas when it comes to charitable giving and volunteering to non-profit organizations.

One non-profit feeling the pinch from the pandemic Grinch is the Salvation Army.

Dakota News Now is reporting that fundraising for their annual red kettle campaign is down around 50-percent of where they were last year at this time.

That news hasn't discouraged the folks with the Salvation Army in looking for volunteers for their red kettle campaign. It's still full-steam ahead in that regard.

Major Marlys Anderson with the Salvation Army told Dakota News Now, “It would be a tremendous help if we had more people volunteering with that, considering we do have to pay bell ringers, and of course you don’t pay, you get more money into buckets to keep and use for programming so that would be a big help."

The mission of the Salvation Army red kettle campaign is to help keep destitute and poverty-stricken people fed during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday time periods. Kettles are set up across the world to help accomplish that goal.

The sounds of the ringing bells associated with the red kettle campaign have become synonymous with the holiday season. This year, for a variety of reasons, due to the pandemic, the numbers of people willing to give and volunteer are down.

The Salvation Army has taken steps to help ease people's fears surrounding the pandemic by establishing a method of contactless donation using Google Pay and Apple Pay.

According to Dakota News Now, if you would like to give to the red kettle campaign, all you have to do is scan the kettle with your phone to make a contactless donation.

It's safe, easy, and fast. And most importantly, your generous gift is always greatly appreciated!

Source: Dakota News Now

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