TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — It’s that time of year again! the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign is back. The organization officially kicked off its annual fundraiser in Troy on Saturday, hoping to raise money to help local families in need.
Whether you drop in your spare change or make a digital donation, every dollar that goes into the red kettles stays right here in the Capital Region. It goes to helping families with food, shelters, and holiday support.
The Salvation Army needs to raise $120,000 to make this happen and the more money they raise the more people they can help.
“It’s important because it’s a lot of people in our communities who are less fortunate. A lot of people cannot make ends meet and sometimes whatever they get through SNAP doesn’t go all the way to the end of the month, so they always come for help here,” said Major Celestin Nkounkou, Commanding Officer for the Salvation Army in Troy.
This comes at a time when many people were already worried about what would happen to their SNAP benefits. Due to the government shutdown, the USDA had stopped funding SNAP, but on Friday a federal court judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to use available funds to provide at least partial food stamp benefits.
“I feel it’s necessary. Those cuts are just unacceptable and here and in Troy we do everything humanly possible. I have been very vocal about federal cuts. And don’t get me wrong, we always do more with less. But cutting SNAP in the federal cuts, they’re really going to hurt disabled, our senior citizens and really people in need,” Mayor Carmella Mantello.
The Salvation Army has never done a kickoff like this one before, but they felt it was necessary especially with more people needing help and the holidays rolling around. Signs of this effect are already starting to show and one of the main ones right now are food pantries.
“We’re getting a lot of people. Our numbers have gone from 60 to 70 families to over a hundred families we’re serving each week,” said Major Nkounkou.
The kettles will be all around Troy and there is one right in front of the Troy indoor farmers market. If you hear bells, you are in the right place!
Tyanna Xavier
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