Jingling bells are a telling sign that the holiday season is near.
Salvation Army representatives and MLAs gathered on the back steps of the B.C. legislature Thursday, ringing bells, for the official launch of the annual Christmas Kettle Campaign.
The bright red kettles will be on street corners, at shopping malls and outside grocery stores, for the Salvation Army’s biggest fundraising event of the year.
This year, the charity’s goal is to raise $400,000 in the capital region and $3.5 million in B.C.
The organization says its needs are growing.
“There are so many people who are a paycheque or two away from needing the services that we provide,” says Sheldon Feener, the divisional secretary spokesperson for the Salvation Army in B.C.
“All the money that we raise locally stays local to feed, clothe and shelter; everything we do here in Victoria, that’s what our kettle program supports.”
Donations can be made in cash or through the …