The Salvation Army Lights Up Giving Tuesday With Thousands of #RedKettleReasons

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the third annual Giving Tuesday, a movement to create a national day of giving during the holiday season, The Salvation Army is encouraging supporters not only to find a way to give back but also to share their motivations for giving with #RedKettleReason.

"Giving Tuesday is about helping people realize the good that we can all do when we share our time, our talents or our treasures to help others," said Lieutenant Colonel Ron Busroe, community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army. "We're inviting people to share their #RedKettleReasons and take a moment to think about the countless reasons there are to give and the impact contributions have on those less fortunate."

During the holidays, nearly 4.2 million people rely on The Salvation Army to provide their families with a warm meal or toys for children on Christmas Day. The Salvation Army's Angel Tree program also provides more than 1 million children with toys and necessary items. In addition to the help provided during the holiday season, donations to the Red Kettles help provide more than 10 million nights of shelter; roughly 58 million meals; and programming such as substance abuse recovery, after-school programs, and emergency shelter for children and families in need year-round. In all, The Salvation Army is able to help nearly 30 million people each year, thanks in large part to people's generous donations. "The services we provide and the people we help represent millions of reasons to give. That's what we want people to think about this Giving Tuesday," Busroe added.

For part of its own Giving Tuesday celebrations, The Salvation Army will appear on a variety of national television programs to encourage people to donate to the Red Kettle Campaign and share their #RedKettleReasons. The #RedKettleReasons shared on Giving Tuesday and throughout the season can be seen on RedKettleReason.org, a new website featuring a mosaic of #RedKettleReason photos, videos, tweets and posts collected from the web as well as an interactive map to illustrate the #RedKettleReason conversations happening around the country.

So far, diverse luminaries like the Dallas Cowboy's Jason Witten and recording artist Shawn Mendes have contributed #RedKettleReasons to the 40,000 and growing gallery of inspirational reasons for giving.

In support of Giving Tuesday, Papa John's is offering a Red Kettle Cookie, a unique holiday twist to its popular treat, the Chocolate Chip Cookie.  A portion of the proceeds from the cookie will be used to support The Salvation Army's funding. In addition, Papa John's will offer 25 percent off every order for those who donate to The Salvation Army through RedKettleReason.org and shares a reason of their own with their following. John Schnatter, founder of Papa John's, will share his own #RedKettleReason for supporting The Salvation Army on Thanksgiving and will challenge his followers to do the same.

To give back on this impactful day, make a donation to the Red Kettle campaign at one of the more than 25,000 Red Kettles set up at storefronts nationwide, online at RedKettleReason.org or through the Army's text-to-give program; by texting the word "KETTLE" to 80888, donors can send $10 to the Red Kettle Campaign.

Those looking to donate their time have a number of opportunities from ringing a bell to sorting toys and serving food. Information about these opportunities is available at SalvationArmyUSA.org or at local Salvation Army community centers.

From its humble beginnings as a program started by a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown into one of the most recognizable and important charitable campaigns in the United States. It provides toys for kids, coats for the homeless, food for the hungry, and countless social service programs year-round. More than 25,000 Salvation Army volunteers throughout the country ring bells and solicit donations to the Red Kettles.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a range of social services: providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. Eighty-two cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to salvationarmyusa.org.

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SOURCE The Salvation Army

Related Links

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org