Salvation Army officials received a special Christmas gift – a fully funded Christmas Campaign – a few days before the holiday.
Lt. Vinal Lee announced via Facebook Live on Saturday that the local nonprofit reached the Christmas Campaign goal of $103,000. This is the first time the fundraising goal has been met since the Lees moved and began work in Madison in 2015.
“We have officially made our Christmas Campaign goal. And we are so incredibly excited to say that,” Lee said in the Facebook Live video. “This is the first time since our three years being here in Madison that we’ve officially raised all of these funds that we have budgeted to help all of these families, and we could not be any more excited and any more grateful for the way the community has (come) together and has made that possible.”
The annual Christmas Campaign – which includes the Red Kettle Campaign and mail appeal program – began in November.
“Thank you to those who have sent in checks, whether it’s directly here to the Salvation Army or have mailed in a check through our mail appeal program, who’ve donated money into the Red Kettle, who’ve donated online, who’ve done text-to-give, all of the number of ways that you all have contributed and supported The Salvation Army during this fundraising season has paid off,” Lee said. “We’ve reached our goal and so many families are going to be impacted, so many children… .”
Although the Salvation Army in Madison has reached its goal, there’s still an opportunity to give and help local residents and families throughout the next year. The Christmas Campaign technically continues until Jan. 31, and the local organization will continue to accept end-of-the-year donations.
“Since we’ve met that goal, since we’ve raised all of those funds, we’re now able to help even more families than we had ever anticipated,” he said in the social media post.
Funding will be used to provide for local programming include a feeding program that serves nearly 40,000 people each year and a dental clinic that provides nearly $200,000 for those without dental insurance in Jefferson County.
The fundraiser also helps to provide for a warming shelter for the homeless during nights with below-freezing temperatures, as well as other programs and services for local residents throughout the year.
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