Richmond’s Salvation Army is once again feeling the pinch, as storefront kettle donations are down less than a week before Christmas.
“We’re down about 10 per cent from last year and, I think, the Salvation Army is, overall, experiencing a little bit of a drop; but we hope to pick that up,” said Major Kathie Chiu, a pastor and corps officer.
The losses have recently been compounding year over year. Last year, the Sally Ann hoped to raise $150,000 from its ubiquitous kettle drive but fell short by $10,000.
Thankfully, the organization recovered operating costs to ease the burden, said Chiu, however they still sent fewer kids to camp and had less food to distribute during the year.
“We really need the support this year,” said Chiu.
Last week, Chiu hosted two, annual Christmas community meals for the likes of shut-in seniors, low-income families, new immigrants and anyone else in need of a night out in the community.
Helping Chiu serve meals and distribute donated toys last week was Alana Leary, 61, who has lived in Richmond since 1961. She has both given to and received from the Salvation Army. It was later in Leary’s life that her daughter fell ill and Leary needed to take care of her grandson.
“They really mean it when they say come as you are. They kept asking me, ‘what do you need?’” said Leary, who now rents an apartment in a co-op, and is hoping to help her grandson, now 17, enrol in university.
“Churches are nice but the Salvation Army, they’re just there for you. Even when I did kettles for a few years, I had so many people approach me and share their stories — either how their grandparents told them how much the Salvation Army helped, or I had refugees and immigrants saying, ‘you know what, when we came here we had nothing and it was the Salvation Army that came and found us food and clothes and even a home.’ So it was wonderful.
“They don’t judge . . . The Salvation Army is the epitome of let me help, let me give, let me take care of you. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’re like, what colour you are,” said Leary.
Leary observes that in Richmond there are more people who are homeless and cold, or couch-surfing. Chiu said the growth in homelessness in the city has risen beyond normal population growth in the past few years.
The Salvation Army is one of several organizations in Richmond providing services to low-income and homeless people. Across Canada, according to Charity Intelligence, it is the largest non-governmental social service provider.
Charity Intelligence states that across Canada the Salvation Army received $189.6 million in donations in 2016 (roughly 81 cents to the dollar ends up with recipients). Unlike in Richmond, nationwide donations remained stable.
Chiu said donations largely “depend on how the economy is going.”
Another consideration locally is reaching out to those who may be unfamiliar with the kettle drive. Per census data, Richmond’s new immigrant community is slightly more than twice the provincial rate (7.7 to 3.8 per cent, respectively) and largely from mainland China. And non-permanent residents also account for 3.3 per cent of the population whereas the provincial rate is 0.2 per cent.
“The greater community is learning. Oftentimes the Chinese newspapers will also talk about what we do. So it’s a matter of educating people,” said Chiu, noting the Army’s Chinese congregation is helpful.
As well, because the kettle drive deals with cash donations, Chiu said a tap system for credit and debit cards is in the works.
