Roy Law admits he was a bit blindsided a couple days ago when he got word that B.C.’s provincial liquor stores will once again allow the Salvation Army to set up kettles and collect cash donations from customers.
Until this week, the Salvation Army had been told that would not be allowed.
Now Law has to try to find people to staff those kettles at two of the city’s three provincial liquor stores.
“It’s good news but we obviously weren’t prepared for it,” said Law, community ministries director for the Prince George Salvation Army.
“So now I’ve got to figure out the manpower to do that. I’m just trying to figure that out this week, and I’m trying to ask our volunteer base and ask, ‘can I get more out of you?’”
The BC Liquor Distribution Branch, which runs the stores, has been collecting for Food Banks BC and the Share-A-Bear program and originally decided to keep the Salvation Army kettles away from the stores over fears it would dilute the flow of donations to the two in-store campaigns.
Fifteen per cent of Food Banks BC member organizations are connected to the Salvation Army. In cities where they are under the same umbrella the donations from either campaign (food bank or kettle) would go to the Sally Ann.
“Having said that, recognizing the short notice, we do not want to create hardship for the Salvation Army and will welcome them outside BCL stores this holiday season,” said the BCLDB, in a media statement.
The kettles are staffed six days per week, 12 hours per day, and each volunteer ringing the bells is scheduled for two-hour shifts. Law says close to 200 people have volunteered this year to help, and more are needed to cover all the shifts.
With just 17 days left before Christmas and the Salvation Army’s biggest annual fundraiser ramping up this month, eight kettles are now being staffed daily in the city, including the three Save-On-Foods grocery stores, Costco, Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart (Spruceland) and Wal-Mart.
So far, the kettle campaign has collected $50,000 of its $220,000 goal.
If you would like to volunteer to staff the kettles, call 250-564-4000.
