News : HOLIDAY DONATIONS DOWN NEARLY 30%

Santa Claus made a stop at the local Fareway this week to help raise money for the Salvation Army. He encourages those who can to make a donation to help those in need. 
Holiday donations to area Salvation Army fundraising efforts are down nearly 30% year over year, putting the future of critical services needed by those most vulnerable in our community in jeopardy. 

"Demand for our vital community resources is only growing in the Cedar Rapids area but we will struggle to meet it without the means to provide them," said TSA Captain Shawn DeBaar. "We know this has been a challenging year for many but we are praying our community comes together to help us close this funding gap." 
This time last year, the Cedar Rapids Salvation Army had already raised more than $325,000 through their holiday donation campaign. This year, however, the nonprofit organization has only managed to raise just over $245,000, which is $80,000 behind this same time last year and a number far below their goal of $811,000. 

From providing free, daily hot meals, food assistance, utility assistance and childcare programs among myriad other services - thousands of Linn County residents rely on TSA to meet their daily needs.  
"When one donates to TSA, 100% of that donation supports the local work of The Salvation Army, making our community a better place to live for all," said DeBaar. "If there is anyone who has been waiting to donate, please wait no longer, it is critical they help now so we can continue our mission efficiently."   
Donations to TSA can be made in the red kettle outside Fareway, 
Have you ever said, "I don't carry cash !?" We just received our QR code and link to donate cashlessly. (You can always donate by sending a check to: Salvation Army of Benton County, 1201 C. Ave., Vinton, Iowa 52349)

You can also donate online, here is the link: https://donate.salarmywestern.org/give/451439/#!/donation/checkout

The site is secure. All donations are tax-deductible.

You can now use PayPal, Venmo, Credit Card, or Bank Transfer and have a receipt sent to your email.

A big THANK YOU to all the churches, organizations and individuals who have signed up, you are our heroes!

A special thanks to Greg Walston for volunteering to help out those at the North Pole this year.