Salvation Army Launches Kettle Drive to Feed 1,000 Kids

It’s that time of year again. The familiar sound of the Salvation Army’s bells is ringing in the Christmas season. But this annual kettle drive is about more than donations; it’s about bringing joy to the less fortunate. The campaign officially launched this morning in Belize City. Here is Shane Williams with that story.

 

Shane Williams, Reporting

Any ordinary civilian would get a good old fashioned Belizean cuss out for trying to kick start the Christmas season before November nineteenth, but the work of the Salvation Army waits for no one. To achieve their goal of providing a Christmas meal and gift for almost a thousand Belizean children, the Salvation Army launched its annual kettle drive today.

 

Major Marc Eddy Momplaisir, District Officer, Salvation Army

“It is a joy. It is really love. So having kettle launching today in Belize, it means love. It means compassion. You see hope and you see children who are already happy because they believe Salvation Army will bring something to them. All funds raise from the Ketel, firstly will stay right in Belize, and we are going to support more than eight hundred children, sometime go to thousand when we go to other communities. And not only that, we will give them toys and we will provide Belize’s Christmas dinner to them and we will provide for the elderly as well with a voucher so that they will be able during the Christmas to go to buy the turkey and order stuff they need.”

 

To spread cheer this season, the Salvation Army is aiming to raise one hundred thousand dollars. But with tighter budgets, charity is often the first thing people cut. While they only surpassed about seventy-five percent of their target last year, Major Marc Eddy Momplaisir, says he is optimistic that the target will be met this year.

 

Major Marc Eddy Momplaisir

“We really have as our goal to raise one hundred thousand dollars; however, you know on my own I cannot raise it, but I strongly believe if all our stakeholders, partners and all Belizeans really come together, we’ll make it happen. Last year we were at least seventy-five percent, okay. We do our best but I strongly believe this year we’re going to make it because I want to make a history.”

 

This year the first to donate towards the kettle drive was career educator Maria Coyi. She says that whenever you hear the bells and see the kettles, remember it’s for the children.

 

Maria Coyi, First Donor

“We must remember that there are people during Christmas time who, who are without, and they’re the ones who step up to the plate and they, they have the drives for toys, um, for parties so the children have a, a, a, a memorable childhood. Um. Outside of that, they may not have a Christmas party or they would not have had the opportunity to be with other kids and receiving gifts. So I always hope hold the Salvation Army in very high esteem.”

 

Volunteers for the kettle drive will be stationed near high trafficked banks and superstores for the rest of the Christmas season. So, when you hear the bells and see the kettle, remember, it’s for the children and elderly. Shane Williams reporting for News Five.