The Salvation Army in Western Polk is getting ready to break out the red kettles at a time when donations are way down and demand for help from the charity is way up.  Residents in Lakeland and Bartow will begin to see red kettles and bell ringers in front of local stores beginning tomorrow. 

The money raised from the red kettles is urgently needed, according to Capt. Edward Lee, who heads the Western Polk Salvation Army. At the emergency shelter he runs in downtown Lakeland, there are more families and children than ever who need a place to stay.  There are currently 16 families and 34 children in the shelter.  “We don’t want to turn, you know, family and children away and let them be out on the street, especially in the cold weather that we have now,” Lee said.

The Salvation Army continues to operate its soup kitchen, feeding dozens of homeless people lunch each day during the week.  The charity also has plans to help hundreds of families with toys and food for the holidays, but there aren’t enough donations to help as many people as last year.  “Last year we helped over 2,200 families at Christmas. This year we’re going to drop that almost in half to about 1,100 because we just don’t have the resources right now to do that,” Lee said.

Lee is hopeful the community will hear about the increased need and step in to help.  Last year the red kettle campaign in Western Polk County raised $150,000, Lee said.  This year he’s hoping for $175,000 in donations, but he’s not sure the economy can support such a lofty goal.

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