For Salvation Army, less time for ringing bells

Posted: 7:18 pm Wed, November 17, 2010
By Erich Wagner
Special to The Daily Record

The holiday season may become less cheery and charitable outside of some area grocery stores this year.

Giant Food has instituted a new policy that will limit to 12 the number of days that the Salvation Army can solicit donations outside its stores.

Major Rick Mikles, general secretary of the Maryland and West Virginia Salvation Army, said the policy essentially cuts his group’s ability to raise money through its “Red Kettle” campaign in half.

“We raised over $100,000 last year [outside Baltimore area Giant locations],” Mikles said. “[The policy] cuts us back to about half of the days that we had last year, so we will probably need to make up an additional $50, $60 or $70,000.”

Donations made outside of Giant stores have been a sizable part of the Salvation Army’s fundraising in the region, where last year it raised just under $600,000. Mikles said the organization, which raises money each year to buy food, clothes and gifts for underprivileged families, will have to turn to other retail chains as well as online giving to make up the difference, although it’s getting tougher to find new companies sympathetic to the cause.

“It will hurt us, but other companies are being very supportive, such as Walmart, Safeway, Food Lion, Walgreens and malls, so we’ll just focus on other places,” he said. “Pretty much every year, if we find a new place to try to solicit, they say that if they allow us to [raise money], it has to be open access to everyone who comes and asks. It’s getting harder and harder to find new locations.”

But some corporations are helping, both allowing red kettle “bell ringers” outside their stores and providing other avenues for shoppers to pitch in.

“For the past couple of years, J.C. Penney has done an online ‘Angel Tree’ program for us, allowing people to go online and donate by ZIP Code,” Mikles said. “So the money goes to the Salvation Army to buy a gift for a particular kid in a particular ZIP Code.”

Giant Food, which is owned by Netherlands-based Ahold, said in a statement that the new policy is intended to allow all groups that want to raise money outside their stores to have a chance.

“We receive hundreds of requests from groups requesting permission to use the areas outside of our stores for fundraising, education purposes, and to collect signatures,” the company said. “Because of the increased needs in our communities, we felt it essential to create opportunities for as many community groups as possible.”

The grocery chain went on to say that it had increased the overall number of days that groups can solicit donations from Saturday and Sunday to six days per week.

Although it will be tough, Mikles said the organization is confident that it will still meet its goal of $600,000 in donations this year, despite the setback.

“We’re comfortable that we will rebound and find a place that will step up to the plate and make that happen,” he said. “Although we were a little short last year, we’re very confident about reaching our goal.”