Green Bay, WI – The Salvation Army of Brown County announces the launch of its annual Christmas Campaign to raise funds to help people who continue to struggle across Brown County.

This year’s campaign theme, ―Share Your Blessings. Be Blessed, is a reminder of the joy that comes from helping those in need. Particularly in difficult times like these, when our neighbors still face unemployment, rising costs, and other effects of an uncertain economy, helping means both sharing blessings — and being blessed by doing good.

 

The Salvation Army’s time-honored Christmas Campaign will include traditional fundraising methods, such as direct mail, as well as the highly visible Red Kettles - a holiday tradition that has served as a symbol of goodwill for more than 100 years. This year includes other exciting donation opportunities from Schneider National and Associated Bank. Schneider National will make the first donation of the 2012 Kettle Campaign though a generous donation of $7,500 and Associated Bank has committed to the first Red Kettle match day on November, 23, 2012, the highly anticipated shopping day, Black Friday.

Locally, The Salvation Army in Brown County hopes to raise $1,200,000.00 to help sustain the vital programs and services that help needy people in their daily struggle for survival. The Salvation Army of Brown County has seen approximately a 10% increase in the need for services ranging from the number of hot meals served, 48,393 in 2012 compared to 45,338 in 2011 to a rise in the need for rent assistance to help families avoid homelessness.

 

Many families are still finding it very hard to stay afloat, and we’ve seen it firsthand in the numbers of people coming to us for help,‖ said Captain Ken Shiels, county coordinator for The Salvation Army of Brown County.

 

It’s especially hard during the holiday season, when so many of our neighbors don’t know how they’ll have the means to provide for their families. That’s why The Salvation Army looks to our community for their generosity: so we can show that same compassion and kindness to the less fortunate.

This holiday season is expected to be one of the busiest yet. Salvation Army officials stress that any contribution will help - and donations of time are accepted as gratefully as donations of money.

 

Reaching out to those in need by volunteering to ring bells or serve warm meals is a wonderful way to connect with the community, to give back, to share blessings, and to be blessed in return, said Casey Cuene, Christmas Chairperson of The Salvation Army.

To volunteer this Christmas season, contact Ryan Dreier, volunteer coordinator, at 920-593-2375.