Marshall County's Red Kettle campaign falls short of $15,000 goal, still time to donate

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at 2:30 AM

By Kathy Bottorff

The Salvation Army’s “Red Kettle” campaign in Marshall County did not reach its $15,000 goal.

Through the Salvation Army, the “Red Kettle” campaign assists more than 4.5 million people nationwide during the holidays and all year.

Marshall County Coordinator for the Salvation Army, Doug Kucera, told GIANT FM WTCA that this year’s collection period from Thanksgiving through December 24^th didn’t meet his goal. While volunteers rang the bells in front of Walmart and Kroger, the donations weren’t what he had hoped for. To date, they have raised just over $12,000.

Seventy cents of every dollar directly helps those in need in Marshall County. Five to seven cents of each dollar goes to the Salvation Army for administration fees, and the remaining twenty-three to twenty-five cents goes to a special fund in Indianapolis for more significant disasters.

This year the goal was to raise $15,000 to help those in need in Marshall County. The Salvation Army funds assist with food, rent, gasoline, NIPSCO and REMC, and even medicine. Kucera said he usually only gives once a year to someone, and it typically ranges from $100 to $200. Funds are not directly given to the person, but a voucher is given and Kucera pays the vendor when the voucher is redeemed.

Anyone interested in still donating to help the Salvation Army locally can drop off cash or a check at Uncle Doug’s Barber Shop across from the Plymouth Fire Department. You can also text Doug Kucera at 574-540-9105.