Twin Cities Army nails Christmas goal, sets record
Roseville, Minn. – The Twin Cities Salvation Army is celebrating today, after reaching its $11.6 million Christmas Campaign goal, the largest ever for the organization.
Red kettles alone brought in over $2.8 million, just $100,000 shy of the previous year, in spite of a shorter bell ringing season. Thanks to several generous gifts from Thrivent Financial, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation and other large, anonymous donations, the Army met the goal of raising $11.6 million in just three months.
“We are elated today,” said Major Jeff Strickler, Twin Cities commander. “We fell short of our $11.4 million goal last year, which meant we had to make some tough choices and cut budgets for our food shelves and our Christmas toy program.”
The Twin Cities Salvation Army counts on the Christmas Campaign to raise about one third of its nearly $33 million operating budget for the year.
“This Christmas season has put us in a great shape, going into 2016. We sincerely thank people in the Twin Cities for helping us serve so many people in our community,” Strickler said.
About the Twin Cities Salvation Army
The Twin Cities Salvation Army serves 186,000 people a year through its local centers of operation, including 15 housing facilities and eight food shelves. Daily it serves 1,200 hot meals and shelters more than 900 people, while providing groceries for 102,000 each year. More than 20,000 local volunteers help The Salvation Army provide these and other services, from child daycare to senior housing. Join the Salvation Army by volunteering or making a donation to support your local community. Connect with us on Facebook.com/SalvationArmyNorth and on Twitter @salarmynorth.