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Goal almost met by Salvation Army
The Red Kettle campaign came out fairly well, said Capt. Ivan Musgrove.
YOUNGSTOWN — After a slow start, the Mahoning County Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign rallied to nearly reach its goal of $300,000.
About $290,000 was raised at between 40 and 45 Red Kettle sites in the county, said Capt. Ivan Musgrove, who is in charge of the Salvation Army facility at 1501 Glenwood Ave.
The Mahoning Salvation Army also has a site at 10 S. Fruit St. A site in Austintown at 6431 Mahoning Ave. was closed in 2008 because of lack of funds, Musgrove said.
“It is not as much as we hoped and prayed for, but the Red Kettle campaign came out fairly well considering the area’s poor economy,” Musgrove said.
Near the end of November, the campaign, which ran through Dec. 24, was down 20 percent from the same period in 2008, giving rise to concern because Red Kettle donations provide a significant portion of the Army’s annual budget, spokeswoman Jean Malandro said at the time.
As it turned out, the Red Kettle Campaign exceeded the $285,000 raised in 2008 by about $5,000, said Musgrove.
This year, as in 2008, the campaign was extended a few days. Last year, the extension enabled the campaign to slightly exceed its goal, and this year produced an extra $1,000 to $1,500, Musgrove said.
“The Lord blessed us. This is a giving, caring community,” he said.
Much of the money raised through the Red Kettle Campaign is used at Christmas for dinners and toys, but it also helps finance Salvation Army activities year-round, he said.
Musgrove said monetary and food donations are “huge for us” and are needed all year.
In 2009, the Salvation Army doubled the number of families it assisted with groceries in 2008; the number of people it feeds is up 45 percent over last year, and the agency increased its lunch program from weekdays two weeks a month to every weekday of the month, Malandro said.
Arrangements can be made to drop off donations by calling (330) 746-8403.
alcorn@vindy.com