In 2009, 3.5 million Canadians will spend Christmas in poverty, 800,000 of them being children. Everyone knows that Christmas is the season for joy and peace. Sadly, it is also the season when the heartache of poverty is at its most painful.
Last year, at a Toronto area kettle, a 30-year-old woman stopped to ask: “Do you have a place where I can sleep tonight?” Another passerby said: “I owe you big time. I had a baby at age 17 and wasn’t married. I was thrown out of my parents’ house and had nowhere to go. I saw a Salvation Army sign on a building. They gave me a meal and found me a place to stay.”
Christmas Kettles are part of The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas campaign. Thousands of Kettles from coast to coast raise funds to help fight poverty throughout the Christmas season and the rest of the year.
History of the Kettle
The kettle first appeared on the streets of San Francisco in 1891. Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee wanted to help the poor, especially for the coming Christmas season, but didn’t know where to get funding for his project.
He remembered, during his earlier days, as a sailor in Liverpool, England, seeing a large Kettle called “Simpson’s Pot” where passengers of boats that docked at Stage Landing tossed coins to help the poor.
The next day captain McFee placed a pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing. Beside the pot was a sign that read “Keep the Pot Boiling”. He collected enough donations to have a Christmas dinner for the poor people.
Shortly thereafter, Christmas kettles began appearing in communities across the United States. In 1906 Kettles came to Canada and are now an indispensable part of the Christmas season in this country and around the world.
How Does My Donation Make a Difference?
During the past year, with the recession, The Salvation Army saw a consistent increase in demand for its services. Professional people whose employment was suddenly snatched from them, single people, broken families, the socially dejected., the homeless, the lonely, the depressed and those suffering from mental health issues depended on us for assistance.
Your donation allows The Salvation Army to be a shelter of hope by providing food, clothing and practical assistance for those caught in the storms of life.
How to Get Involved
Become a bell ringer and stand by a kettle.
Participate in The Salvation Army iKettle program and host your own online Kettle.
Donate to a kettle when you pass by. You will make Christmas special for those in need in your community.
