Salvation Army preparing for Christmas season

With just 100 days remaining until Christmas, the Salvation Army is preparing for another season of helping others.

Thousands along the Gulf Coast are currently facing food and housing insecurity, adding another challenge to a holiday season that is already incredibly busy. According to Major Jerry Friday, the Area Commander for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Salvation Army, the organization has experienced an increase in people asking for help.

“We’re getting calls and people coming in who have never asked for assistance before,” Friday said. “Times are tough, and the economy is not rebounding as quickly as people thought that it would or hoped that it would.”

Salvation Army volunteers stand out around the holidays, standing outside of many businesses and ringing bells to raise money.

“You’ll see in front of your grocery stores before Thanksgiving that red kettle sign and people out ringing the bell, and then after Thanksgiving you’ll see us at your Walmarts and your other retail shopping stores,” Friday said. “We’re there collecting funds so that we can help families at Christmas and then all year long.”

The organization also hosts its annual Angel Tree drive, allowing individuals to fulfill a child in need’s wishlist in time for Christmas.

“We usually have across the Coast over one-thousand children who their parents have applied for Christmas assistance,” Friday said. “We put their names on the Angel Tree.”

Friday explained that there are other ways in which Gulf Coast residents can help out over the coming months.

“If someone just has some time and says, ‘Hey, I would like to ring the bell,’ we’ll put you out in front of a store and we’ll let you collect for the Salvation Army that day,” Friday said.

Registration dates for the Angel Tree program run from October 15th through October 17th, from 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 4pm each day.