(CHRISTIAN POST) – Facing a possible drop of up to 50% in fundraising from its iconic Red Kettle Campaign and a 155% increase in demand for its social services, The Salvation Army is launching its annual holiday fundraising campaign early for the first time in 130 years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The pandemic has brought about just incredible crises for families all across America. Many of the families we serve, some of them have lost their jobs, some of them have been impacted and have had COVID in their own families. And when you lose income and you're sick and you can't afford basic necessities for your family like food, rent, utilities, it puts you at a crisis that you've never experienced before," Dale Bannon, The Salvation Army's national community relations and development secretary, told The Christian Post Tuesday.
"We have had waitresses, I think of one in Indiana … She said, 'I'm a single mom. I have two kids and I've been doing very well until I was laid off from my job.' She said, 'This is the first time I've had to ask for help and I just need food for my family.' That story is amplified by the thousands … millions that we've seen all across our country."
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