TYLER, Texas — Every holiday season, we see Salvation Army volunteers ringing bells at the iconic Red Kettles to raise funds for their organization.
The famous Red Kettle campaign is the Salvation Army’s largest fundraiser of the year. All donations help the organization continue to get people back on their feet during tough times.
“All the funds that we raise in the kettle campaign stays directly here in Tyler, and it goes through our programs and services that we operate year-round,” says Salvation Army of Tyler Captain Robert Parker.
A few of those programs include giving out free meals and providing shelter, as well we low-income housing.
This year, donating is easier than ever.
For the first time, the Salvation Army is taking digital donations through Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Captain Parker says they hope to raise $400,000 by the end of the holiday season.
"We're already at about $24,000, so we have about 30 days to go and we will need every last penny, every last dollar, every last digital Apple Pay contribution that we can get,” said Captain Parker.
To donate digitally, use your mobile device to scan the barcode on the Red Kettle signage, and it will take you to the Salvation Army’s website.
“There you go can donate $5, $10, $25 or specify any amount and check out,” said Parker.
The video below shows how you can make a donation using your mobile device:
To reach that $400,000 goal, the Salvation Army is in need of volunteers to fill the 39 kettle location across the Rose City.
"Another way to help give back is to donate items such as blankets, coats and scarves to the Salvation Army," said Captain Parker. “And socks are a big item there as well, especially as the temperatures start to drop.”
If you would like to volunteer for the Red Kettle campaign, click here to sign up.