Perhaps it's a sign of how tough an economic time we're living in, but donations at the iconic Salvation Army Christmas kettles in New Westminster are trending down in the final days before Christmas.
Capt. Dave Macpherson of the New Westminster Salvation Army Citadel said the kettles were doing well early in the season, but that's not the current story.
"We got off to a good start, and we were up, but in the last couple of weeks, our numbers have trended downward," said Macpherson. "If we keep with this trend, we'll be down overall, but I'm hoping people really reach into the hearts and help us out."
Macpherson said there are approximately 20 kettle locations in the Royal City, and he expects most, if not all of them, to be in full operation on Dec. 23 and Christmas Eve.
"We'll be going hard, right until 9 p.m. on Friday and for probably four hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve," he said. "We're hoping to get our numbers up and help more people."
In fact, an uptown kettle location near Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue usually ranks amongst the top six in the entire country.
Macpherson admitted that a recent media report about a kettle worker allegedly taking money instead of putting it in a Surrey kettle hasn't helped matters, but he assured people that type of inappropriate behaviour has not happened under his watch in New Westminster and the Tri-Cities.
"We always tell our bell-ringers that people should be putting the money themselves into the kettles," he said. "We've reiterated to our supervisors and to the (bell-ringers) that that's what should be done."
In neighbouring Burnaby, Capt. Lisa Trickett of the Metrotown Salvation Army Citadel agreed with Macpherson that the downward trend is not good news.
"Last year, we were at about $40,000 and now we're at about $35,000, so that means we're about $5,000 down," Trickett said on Wednesday morning. "We'll be out right until Christmas Eve afternoon, and we really do appreciate anything that people can give."
Trickett said one positive thing that has happened this year is an increase in targeted donations, such as more people volunteering for the Adopt-a-Family program, which allows people to sponsor a particular family.
"People are wanting to help others in different ways," she said.
"The need is great this year. People are struggling, and we do appreciate any and all help."
Trickett said the donations are counted nightly and inputted into a computer system that tells them exactly what their numbers are in relation to last year.
The kettles, which can be found throughout the city, often at major shopping areas, are a major fundraiser for the Salvation Army. Many of the people who ring the bells are volunteers.
The Salvation Army regularly receives high marks from the American Institute of Philanthropy in its annual charity rating guide in terms of proceeds actually helping people in need rather than going towards overhead and executives' salaries.
In New Westminster, some of the charitable initiatives the organization is involved in include a special Christmas Bureau toy store that helps low-income families put toys under the tree; a Christmas dinner and an extreme weather shelter for when it gets too cold for people to sleep on the streets.
While the kettle campaign ends this weekend, the Salvation Army is always looking for volunteers. In New Westminster, call 604-521-8223 or stop by 325 Sixth St. In Burnaby, the Metrotown Citadel is located at 6125 Nelson Ave., phone 604-437-1521.
On the Internet, visit www.salvation army.ca for more information on how to give or receive help.
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