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Salvation Army aims to bring smiles to children, help families
Photo
Nikesha Curry of Youngstown looks for Christmas gifts for her children in the toy section at the Salvation Army’s distribution center in the Austintown Plaza on Mahoning Avenue. Families who have not registered for a shopping day at the center can still sign up from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday .
Staff report
AUSTINTOWN
Tinaya Sallie said she wouldn’t be able to buy presents for her five children this Christmas without the help of the Salvation Army.
“I feel totally blessed. We have been struggling,” said Sallie, who lost her job in the summer and has had trouble finding work. “They [Salvation Army] really saved our Christmas this year.”
Sallie’s family is one of more than 1,400 the Salvation Army will serve this holiday season by offering gifts and other assistance, but the charitable organization’s revenue has dropped this season due to the challenges of a struggling economy and cold weather.
The kettles, which once drove the charity’s revenue, are bringing in fewer donations than in previous years, said Bob Mastriana, a member of the SA’s Mahoning County advisory board. He said so far this year, collections are down $30,000 from the same time in 2012.
“There are very few $20 bills anymore, hardly any fives,” he said.
He said some people have less money to give, but he also blames the weather for the revenue decline.
“People are telling me, ‘It’s too cold.’ People aren’t coming out to shop, so they aren’t there to visit the kettles,” he said.
In recent years, the Mahoning County Salvation Army has begun to rely more heavily on corporate sponsorships to supplement the donations.
Mastriana said more than 40 local companies sponsor kettles in the area, which carry a placard of the companies’ logos.
The Salvation Army’s Women’s Auxiliary also has recruited new donors for the distribution center in the Austintown Plaza.
“It’s amazing how supportive they’ve been,” said Maj. Valerie Kahn, the SA’s area services coordinator for Mahoning County.
Christmas Day will mark her third Christmas since being transferred from the greater New York City area. She said her time in the Mahoning Valley has allowed her to build relationships with different groups that donate toys, clothes and other items.
The Salvation Army used to distribute gifts by the bagload to each child, but Kahn said that method was too impersonal. In 2012, she opened up the distribution center to the families and allowed parents to browse the various sections of donated merchandise and choose their children’s gifts.
“It may seem mundane and menial, but it is a very visual representation of giving to people,” she said.
Kahn said the drive sent out 2,500 angel tags (one for each child) this year. The center has given out more toys than anticipated, but she has extras donated by the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign.
“I’m not nervous,” she said. “The goal is to give it away, not hoard it and save it until next year.”
Families who have not registered for a shopping day at the center can still sign up from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday. Parents must bring their children’s birth certificates and proof of residence in Mahoning County.
“I haven’t turned anyone away yet,” Kahn said.