Reported by Lauren Lowrey email
Posted by Kate Oatis email
TOLEDO (WTOL) - All of this financial uncertainty is having a negative effect on charitable organizations.
The Salvation Army, for example, is just days into its holiday fundraising campaign and already it's expecting a loss of $100,000 in donations.
"Hopefully it'll be up a little higher because the need is greater this year," said bellringer Mike Pugh, who's been performing this service for 20 years. Trouble is, that just doesn't seem to be the case.
Major Clyde Jones, who heads the Toledo area Salvation Army, says they expect a loss of $30,000 just from stores limiting bellringers at their doors. And the other $70,000 loss comes from stores like The Pharm and Valu City, which shut down.
"All together there are 14 locations that have closed their doors, and those 14 locations mean to us about $70,000," Jones said.
But, the organization has 27 signs and kettles just waiting in the garage for someone to sponsor. The good news is, sponsorhip doesn't have to be all season long.
Tracy Knappin says a whole new program allows groups or businesses to sponsor what they call "special event kettles."
"It can be a one-time event. If your church is having their annual Christmas party, and you're gonna have a bunch of people there together, we can come out just for an hour, or 15 minutes before your event starts, ring the bell for a little while, and you can sponsor a kettle that way," Knappin explained.
