Salvation Army Short On Volunteers

Local Salvation Army officials say they are in desperate need of bell-ringers for this year's red kettle fundraising campaign.The campaign began on November 1st. Major Keath Biggers says 171 volunteers have signed up to stand with the kettles. That's less than half the number that signed up by this time last year. Biggers says more volunteers are needed to help raise half a million dollars by Christmas Eve. If the money doesn't come in, he says the Salvation Army will need to rethink its finances."We would have to look at other sources of possible revenue that we have not thought of yet, or measures of reducing operations," he says. "We're already on a shoestring budget and have been for the last three years."Last year's fundraising goal was also half a million dollars. Biggers says they raised 482 thousand. That's one hundred thousand dollars above the previous year's total.To help bring in more money, the Salvation Army has expanded its capacity to accept donations, through text messages. Also, many kettles in Louisville will have credit card scanners on them."We're trying to do everything we can to make it easier, but we're also in desperate, desperate need this year of volunteers," says Biggers.