Salvation Army set to ring in its 2009 Kettle Campaign
Bells will be ringing this week as the Elgin Salvation Army launches its annual Kettle Campaign, hoping to match last season's record amount while also trying to meet an overwhelming need this season.
Last season, the Elgin Salvation Army raised $220,000 through a joint campaign between Elgin and Carpentersville, Major Ken Nicolai said.
(Sun-Times Media File)
"It was the most Elgin has ever raised. You can't say people aren't generous, but it's just the need is overwhelming," he said.
The agency served 22,236 people last season, compared to the usual 9,000 to 12,000 people it served in other years, Nicolai said. Money raised during the Christmas campaign is used for emergency assistance, which helps individuals with food, clothing, rent and utility payments, he said.
"We thought we had seen the worse of it, but the numbers are up this fall, even more than last year," Nicolai said, adding that the agency anticipates the number of those assisted will rise to 26,000 this season. "It makes me a bit nervous because we already turn people away. The goal here is to meet every need as much as we can."
This season, the Salvation Army is holding a separate campaign in the Carpentersville area to support its service center site that opened in the Meadowdale Shopping Center earlier this year, Nicolai said. That center serves East and West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow and Gilberts.
The 2009 goal is to raise $100,000 in Carpentersville and $120,000 in Elgin, he said.
The agency, based at 316 Douglas Ave., is holding several kickoffs for the 2009 campaign. The first is at noon Friday at Triangle Park in Carpentersville. A second kickoff is scheduled for noon Wednesday at Carleton Rogers Park in downtown Elgin.
In Carpentersville, Otto Engineering president Tom Roeser and Village President Ed Ritter are chairing the campaign. Otto employees "proudly and happily" volunteered to man the kettle at Macy's at Spring Hill Mall every night through Christmas Eve, Roeser said.
Roeser said he will match dollar for dollar any donations made at the location.
The Salvation Army is the kind of agency that reaches out to those who really need it, he said.
The Salvation Army's Carpentersville office has been busy helping residents. This week, its food pantry began running low, Nicolai said, adding, "That's the trend in both towns; food is a great need."
"What keeps us going is we know people will give as much as they can," he said. "I have a good feeling we will have another good campaign. We know the community wants to help those in need."
