Red Kettle Campaign coming to a close in Orrville area
‘Tis the season for seeing and hearing the Red Kettle Campaign. For the Orrville Salvation Army, Christmas heralds its busiest season and biggest fundraising effort.
If you’ve been out and about, you are no doubt familiar with the bell ringers. The Orrville Salvation Army had bell ringers this year at six area locations including Buehler’s in Orrville, P. Graham Dunn in Dalton, Marshallville Meats, Lehman’s Hardware, Kidron Town and Country, and Das Dutch Kitchen in Dalton. The funds raised from this campaign support a variety of programs that help families and children in need throughout the year.
During the Christmas season, the Orrville Salvation Army has two major seasonal programs to help those in need.
“The first program is our angel tree that provides gifts to children up through high school seniors,” said Beth Fuller, Orrville Service Center director. “Families register their children, and then community members purchase gifts and return them to us for delivery. The family is able to wrap the gifts for their children so they too know the gifts their children have received.
“This year the angel tree served 248 kids and 101 households throughout the service area, which includes Orrville, Dalton, Kidron, North Lawrence and Marshallville. Families are also eligible for one family gift, which could be anything from cleaning supplies to dishes.”
The second major holiday program is the Christmas Food Box, which is the result of the Community Food Drive. This year 277 households received a food box.
“This year our two largest contributors to the food drive were Dalton Middle School and Orrville High School,” Fuller said. “We collected somewhere around 14,000 items of food. We assembled and distributed the food boxes through Calvary Assembly of God, who let us use their parking lot and facility. Each family receives around 100 pounds of food including one Christmas protein of their choice — which could include a beef roast, pork roast or chicken — as well as dairy items.”
The Orrville Salvation Army has several other seasonal programs including the Back to School Supplies Drive in July and August, an Easter Food Box in the spring, and a residential summer camp at Carrollton, which is a weeklong residential camp for age 6-12. This year the camp will be held July 1-5, and interested kids should apply in March.
The Salvation Army has several ongoing programs that run all year. These include the food pantry, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The pantry can be used by a household one time a month and provides nonperishable foods and a protein. There also is the Fresh Food Program, which is run in conjunction with Buehler’s in Orrville and provides households with fresh produce and dairy one time a month. Interested families need to apply for the Fresh Food Program at the same time the food pantry is utilized.
Fuller also said there are several other additional programs to help families or individuals.
“We currently help with rental assistance on a limited basis; we help with utility disconnections, medical transportation costs and prescription costs; and we have a clothing voucher program that works in conjunction with Mission Thrift in Orrville,” she said. “We also partner with other local organizations in the area if we are unable to offer direct assistance ourselves.”
Fuller said as of Dec. 15, the Red Kettle Campaign was at 54% of the goal of $31,500. Fuller is hoping that in the final days of the campaign, that gap can be closed. To make a donation for these programs, send a check to Orrville Salvation Army at 401 W. High St., Orrville, OH 44667, or for more information on how to help or to receive information if you need help, call 330-683-3138.
