Salvation Army’s red kettles a little more empty in midstate

(Lancaster) — The Salvation Army’s red kettles and bell ringing are ubiquitous every Christmas season.

But donations to some midstate chapters are behind pace this year.

Start in Lebanon County, where Captain Ernesto Portillo says, as of Friday, donations were about $45,000 short of the nonprofit’s goal of $110,000, far off last year’s pace.

Or go to York County, where the chapter is matching last year’s trend, but it’s afraid it will miss its $240,000 goal like it did in 2013.

And then there’s Lancaster’s Salvation Army, which needed about $65,000 to hit its mark of $185,000.

Captain Timothy Sheehan says the recent Extraordinary Give brought $32,000 to the organization, which will help blunt any shortfall.

“We have a shortened season, which also comes into play with our kettle activity. But to put a finger and say this is why, I don’t know that any of us can do that to be honest,” says Sheehan.

Sheehan says he’s confident the community will come through like it did last year.

“We were running a little behind, but not anything as we are now, and towards the end, the generosity of the folks kicked in and we were able to make our goals, which then helps us fund our programs not only at Christmas but throughout the year,” adds Sheehan.

In the midstate, only Harrisburg’s Salvation Army is on pace to hit its goal.

Sheehan says if Lancaster falls short, they’ll evaluate each program, and look for additional grants or foundation funding.

The money raised around Christmas through the kettle campaigns, appeals through letters, and other events typically accounts for about 40 percent of each Salvation Army chapter’s yearly budget.