Give-A-Christmas campaign kicks off
Annual fundraiser supports local Salvation Army service centers
The annual Herald-Standard Give-A-Christmas campaign kicks off today, looking once again to support local branches of the Salvation Army.
In its 40th year, the campaign is more important than ever, said Bob Pinarski, regional publisher of the Herald-Standard.
“I sit on a few fundraising boards in the area, and I’ve seen first hand how great the need is,” he said.
During the Give-A-Christmas campaign, the newspaper collects donations from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve which support local units of the Salvation Army. Those donations stay in Fayette County, where they are put back into programs that help community members who are in need.
“Over the four decades of this campaign, our readers have helped us raise more than $1 million. We are grateful for those generous contributions and ask that you help us continue to provide much-needed support to the Salvation Army,” Pinarski said.
This year, the Give-A-Christmas goal is $10,000. The campaign has already received $450 thanks to donations from Central Christian Church in Uniontown and the Uniontown Flower Club. Details about how to donate can be found at the end of this article.
At its Uniontown location, the Salvation Army’s ministry works to meet the needs of the community in numerous ways.
Christine Bell, employee-in-charge, said there has been a substantial increase in the number of people coming to the food pantry or the Kindness Kafe soup kitchen.
“The Kindness Kafe provides lunch six days per week and about 1,700 meals per month,” Bell said. “In 2023, we were serving 25 to 30 families at our food pantry and last month, we served 160 families.”
The increased food insecurity has prompted the Salvation Army to request food donations. Bell has created partnerships with local grocery stores and businesses to take fresh food that would have otherwise been thrown away. Food drives hosted by organizations, businesses or individuals are also a good way to gather donations, Bell said.
“Hygiene supplies are a huge need as well. We provide that to residents when available,” Bell said.
Like all Salvation Army units across the county, they’ll participate in the annual Red Kettle Campaign, the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year. Started in 1891, the campaign relies on the generosity of donors to help Salvation Army units across the country operate. Last year, the Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division, which includes Fayette, Greene and Washington counties, raised more than $2.2 million. All of those donations stay local.
The local unit will also participate in the Angel Tree program. The trees, located at Walmart, have tags with gift ideas for a child who needs Christmas presents. Instructions on where the gifts can be dropped off are listed by the trees.
Bell called the program “the heart and soul of what I love to do.”
“Last year, we were capped at 200 children and had a wait list with over 100 more on it. I reached out to our community partners, and they made it happen,” Bell said. “We were able to provide Christmas for 360 children. It was the best year I’ve ever seen as far as our Angel Tree program.”
Donations are needed for all programs the Salvation Army operates throughout the year. So are volunteers, said Bell. That could be making a hot meal in the soup kitchen or working at the thrift store, which accounts for about 60% of the unit’s calls requesting help.
The most important thing to know about the Salvation Army, Bell said, is that the organization’s doors are always open to those in need.
“It’s all about creating relationships with the community,” she said.
For more information about the Salvation Army, visit https://easternusa.salvationarmy.org/western-pennsylvania/uniontown/.
Contributions for the Give-A-Christmas campaign can be mailed to Give-A-Christmas, c/o Herald-Standard, 8 E. Church St., Uniontown, Pa., 15401. Checks should be made out to Give-A-Christmas. Additionally, donations may be dropped off at the newspaper office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All donors are welcome to include notes honoring or memorializing loved ones, or holiday messages.