Shoppers in Canadian County dropped almost $15,000 less into Salvation Army red kettles during the 2009 Christmas shopping season.
Kettles in the county collected $23,758, said Garry Odom, the Salvation Army's divisional director of service extension. In 2008, $38,749 was donated to the kettles.
“We had some difficulty, and it seemed like close to $10,000 came in those last few days,” he said. “Everybody really helped out when it counted.”
The donations will allow the Canadian County service unit to continue its work at the same levels established last summer. The county service unit board budgeted $1,500 per month to eastern Canadian County residents and $850 per month for residents in the western part of the county.
Besides the kettle campaign, Odom said Canadian County residents receive some utility assistance through Salvation Army partnerships with ONG and OGE. ONG's Share the Warmth brings $460 back to county residents each month between Nov. 1 and April 30, while OGE's Lend-A-Hand program gives $200 to Canadian County residents per month.
“At this point, no changes were made,” he said. “We made enough to continue what we were doing. Since it was down from last year, they were guarded in making further commitments.”
Fewer bell ringers
Cold weather and fewer volunteers cut into the funds raised, Odom said. Local civic clubs, Boy Scouts and church groups came through, he said but more volunteers will be needed to drive future fundraising efforts.
Mustang resident Leon Laxton was one of several Canadian County volunteers who tried to fill in the gaps, Odom said. The retiree rang in the Christmas season on each weekend in December.
“I hope I did them some good,” Laxton said.
On previous Christmases, he said he thought about volunteering to ring bells, but he was always busy with work, family or other obligations. This was the first year he was free, so he volunteered.
Then he learned of the volunteer shortage, so Laxton signed up for more weekend shifts and came by the Mustang Wal-Mart through the week when he had free time. He said he plans to volunteer again next year and recruit a few of his friends to help.
“They help people that need help,” Laxton said. “You could never tell, someday I might be there myself.”
United Way
partnership
Odom said the Canadian County service unit is seeking to regain United Way partner status after it was suspended in 2009.
The Salvation Army Divisional Command dissolved Canadian County's service unit last May after the committee's members tried to disaffiliate from the local United Way chapter. The local Salvation Army's funds were frozen while an internal audit was conducted, and needy residents seeking assistance were turned away.
The Canadian County committee regrouped with different leadership during the summer, and services were restored to communities. In rebirthing the service unit, Odom said they found several Salvation Army policies weren't previously being followed. In the past, a few people controlled the distribution of Canadian County's donations when those decisions should have been directed by the local board.
The Canadian County committee established a policy for the needy to apply for help at Yukon Sharing or Community Action Agency in El Reno. Residents in western Canadian County can seek help at the El Reno office, while east Canadian County residents can file for help at Yukon Sharing.
A Yukon Sharing worker Barbara Hudson and CAA workers Margaret Baustert and Jacki Carpenter also serve on the Salvation Army board. When they receive requests for help from the Salvation Army, Odom said they are working as representatives for that charity and not Yukon Sharing or CAA. He said the locations are the most convenient to reach people in need.
The past group also directly helped other civic groups, such as donating $1,000 to the Mustang Kiwanis Food Pantry annually. Odom said any aid other charities received was in violation of Salvation Army policy.
The local Salvation Army service unit can, however, create a partnership with other civic groups and work together on a project, he said, such as Santa's Toy Shoppe or El Reno's Blessing Baskets. Both groups obtained separate non-profit, tax-deductible status.
To help
Odom said the Canadian County service unit board is considering holding other fundraisers later this year but haven't decided on an event.
Donations are welcome, and more volunteers are needed. He said the group needs another board member from the Mustang area to better represent southeastern Canadian County.
For information, call Odom at 840-0735.