(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Two major fund raising efforts at the end of 2010 by the Salvation Army Corps of San Bernardino brought in about $160,000, but that’s only the bare minimum it needs to keep services at their current level.

“We met our goal this year,” said Capt. Stephen Ball. “But the goals are set as low as possible. Just because we achieved them doesn’t mean we won’t have additional expenses that will need to be covered as well!”

“There are also expenses we haven’t put into the budget,” Capt. Ball said. “For instance, the roof of our Corps headquarters building needs about $30,000 to $40,000 in repairs, but we will have to defer those repairs until our donations are substantially more than what we received in 2010.”

The Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps receives most of its annual budget through its Fall Fundraiser and its Red Kettle programs. The donations in 2010 were approximately $50,000 from the Fall Fundraiser, and approximately $110,000 from the Red Kettles.

In October, at the Fall Fundraiser Lunch, the Salvation Army had only raised $40,000. This would have required the Salvation Army to cut its budget by $10,000, but Sempra Energy Foundation supplied a grant to make up the shortfall.

In the Red Kettle campaign, people ring Christmas bells, encouraging donations of any size to plastic red kettles with the Salvation Army logo, placed in front of variety and grocery stores.
This campaign started Nov. 15 in San Bernardino and the other communities served by the San Bernardino Corps (Highland, Rialto, Colton and Bloomington) and continued daily, except on Sundays, until Christmas Eve.

This year, the Red Kettle campaign was hampered by a week of rainy weather from Dec. 17-23, which is typically when it receives the most donations. Although donations had gone well prior to Dec. 17, the total given was below the Corps’ $75,000 goal until Christmas Eve.

“We started before Thanksgiving,” Capt. Ball said. “Last year with Christmas falling on a Saturday, that also gave us more days in the Thanksgiving to Christmas season, which is when we receive most of our Red Kettle donations.”

“Variations in the length of the Christmas season, or more bad weather just before Christmas could cause us to fall below goal in future years,” Capt. Ball said.

Also affecting the Red Kettle donations is the size of the volunteer force the Salvation Army recruits each year to supervise red kettles in San Bernardino, Highland, Colton, Rialto and Bloomington.

If the Salvation Army can’t find enough volunteers, it hires Bell Ringers. This year, the payroll costs for the non-volunteer Bell Ringer force cost about $35,000, bringing the total profit from that fundraiser to about $75,000.

The rest of the income the San Bernardino Corps receives is from various types of smaller donations made throughout the year. This does not include any proceeds from Salvation Army thrift stores, as they are used entirely to fund a different Salvation Army program, the residential drug treatment centers run by the Adult Rehabilitation Centers.

Through these donations only, the Salvation Army provides a variety of ministries, including its emergency family shelter and two daily meals for up to 80 people at once, a residential and educational program called Path to Prosperity serving 27 men who have successfully completed a drug treatment program and are now reintegrating into society, dinners six days a week for up to 300 people, and several youth programs benefiting more than 100 children and teens.

To make sure the Salvation Army doesn’t fall short throughout the year, it encourages donations through other means. One way is to simply visit the Salvation Army Corps headquarters at 746 W. Fifth St., San Bernardino and make a donation there.

“We can accept cash or checks at our Headquarters building,” Capt. Ball said. “Any size donation is welcomed.”

For more information about how to make a one-time donation to the San Bernardino Corps of the Salvation Army, call (909) 888-1336.

Two other ways to donate to the Salvation Army are 21st-century innovations, online giving and text-to-give.

Online donation is possible at any time by going to www.salvationarmy.org <http://www.salvationarmy.org> and clicking on the Red Kettle icon that is always on the left side of the international organization’s home page. This method allows you to specify a certain amount, and specify the Salvation Army location that you would like to give your donation.

Text-to-give, introduced in November of 2010, allows anyone to make a $10 donation via cell phone by texting the word “give” to 85944. These donations appear on the cell phone bill, and are sent to Salvation Army programs in the same area code as the donor’s cell phone.

The Salvation Army also has methods to accept major donations of cash, corporate stock, securities or real estate throughout the year, and to designate the Salvation Army as a beneficiary on a will or in another planned gift. In either case, these can be designated for a specific local branch of the Salvation Army.

For more information about major donations, contact Nancy Tortorelli at (760) 324-4748 or email Nancy.Tortorelli@usw.SalvationArmy.org. For more information about designating the Salvation Army as a beneficiary in a planned gift, call Greg Mattox at (760) 644-0561 or (888) 861-7125, or email Greg.Maddox@usw.SalvationArmy.org.

About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.

The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org <http://www.salvationarmyusa.org> or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.

For local help call (909) 888-1336.