With Less Money In Its Red Kettles, The Salvation Army Rallies To Save The Holidays

The Salvation Army’s red-kettle campaign is expecting fewer donations and volunteers this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

The Salvation Army’s bell ringers, a longtime fixture outside malls and stores around the U.S., are a staple holiday tradition. But this year, with the coronavirus pandemic raging and many stores closed, people won’t be hearing as many of those bells ringing.

The charitable organization relies on its red-kettle campaign’s donations to raise enough money to help millions of Americans around the holidays. That’s especially true this year, with so many people out of work and suffering financially. So with store traffic — and red-kettle donations — down, the charity is turning to technology and its enthusiastic volunteers to keep the tradition going.

The familiar red-kettle campaign’s roots go back more than a century.