Salvation Army says ‘every person counts’ at Red Kettle kickoff

Federal and state budget standoffs have increased the level of need this year.

Smiles, dancing and the sound of bells were in abundance at the Mon Valley Salvation Army’s first-ever Red Kettle Kickoff Dinner Thursday night at the Saint Spyridon Hellenic Center in Monessen.

Mon Valley Salvation Army Captain Kara Martin speaks to guests during the Red Kettle Kickoff dinner Thursday night at the St. Spyridon Hellenic Center in Monessen. Jeff Helsel / Mon Valley Independent

Mon Valley Salvation Army Capt. Kara Martin highlighted the importance of their work, which was evident by the number of people supporting them at the event. Martin said around 140 people bought tickets for the dinner, which was held to kick off their biggest annual fundraiser, the Red Kettle Campaign.

The theme of Thursday’s dinner was that everyone matters and that their work is meant to bring dignity and attention to those who need it the most.

“If you look at your tickets, it says, ‘everyone counts.’ We thought that would be a perfect theme because everyone does count,” Martin told the crowd at the dinner. “Every person matters, and every act of service is a reflection of our community.”

The organization made around $5,600 through ticket sales, and Martin said they received additional support from Mon Valley businesses and organizations. They also raised mon- ey by holding a raffle at the dinner.

The centerpiece of every dinner table was a small red kettle for attendees to deposit donations.

The Mon Valley Salvation Army offers many services, including providing aid to families during disasters, hosting food banks and helping those who need addiction resources. They provide assistance to Valley communities in Washington, Westmoreland and Fayette counties.

The dinner started with a welcome and a prayer from Martin, followed by a dinner with By George as the caterer.

In a speech, Mon Valley Salvation Army Chairperson Casey Clark recalled how the Salvation Army impacted her family when their home caught on fire when she was young.

“My most memorable thing from that day was seeing the Salvation Army truck pull up,” Clark said, “and they brought clothes for my sister, and they brought underwear for my family, they brought food for us to eat, and they gave us gift cards to get us a warm place to stay. I will never ever forget that, and I will forever be thankful to organizations like our Salvation Army for things like that.”

Shelly Hersey, a recovering addict, shared a testimony of how the Mon Valley Salvation Army helped her and her husband, Stewart, start a path of sobriety. Hersey recalled how Martin played a part in both of them seeking help for their addictions.

Hersey and her husband have been sober for seven months and found a home in Charleroi thanks to the help from Martin.

“Captain Kara and the Salvation Army have and will always be the reason, other than God, to why we have a changed life,” Hersey said. “She has always tried to find ways to spread the word of God through the community and help people in need of more than just food or clothing through the many programs that she has started.”

The Red Kettle Campaign will officially start Nov. 15 at the Rostraver Township Walmart. Donations can be made online at https:// easternusa.salvationarmy. org/western-pennsylvania/ MonValley. Checks made out to “Salvation Army Mon Valley” will be accepted at their Donora location at 800 Thompson Ave.

Anyone with questions about their services or how to donate, can contact Martin at kara.martin@use.salvationarmy. org or by calling 724– 684-4282. They also send out mail appeals through a third party, and Martin said donations will still go directly to the Mon Valley Salvation Army.

As the federal government shutdown continues and SNAP benefits face some uncertainty, Martin said they’ve seen an uptick in calls about their food bank. They work with the Westmoreland Food Bank to get their food, but Martin stated that they’re facing a problem because the county food bank is also facing cuts.

Martin encourages local residents to make food donations to the Mon Valley Salvation Army to prepare for a potential food crisis. Additional food donations help them make emergency boxes if needed.

“One thing is, we want to make sure that nobody goes hungry,” Martin said. “And if need be, if we see this food crisis arise, we’ll probably offer some type of hot meal, because it’s easier to distribute if we don’t have enough to distribute to everyone. We don’t want to turn people away, but we can’t fill everyone’s cabinets. So that’s going to be a hard thing too, and that’s another thing that has been on my heart.

“We get lots of people calling, crying, even if their food stamps get turned on, it’s just the cost of food going so high, and they may not get their full allotment, or it will be late. So we have to prepare for that.”