The Salvation Army is getting a head start on the holiday fundraising drive.
The Red Kettle campaign helps those in need throughout the state by providing meals, shelter, toys, clothing and many other services during the year.
The funds collected will also support families who were financially impacted by the pandemic.
Children from the Right Place in Hartford sang Christmas Carols Thursday, 100 days before Christmas, for the announcement of the kick-off of the fundraising campaign.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
According to Salvation Army officials, the campaign raised almost $1.7 million in Connecticut in the last year, but this year’s campaign is falling significantly behind and donations are down by 20%.
The drive is especially important this year after the decline in donations and the Salvation Army is hopeful that people will be generous while dropping donations into the iconic red kettles.
Maj. Debra Ashcraft, of the Salvation Army Southern New England Division, said many families in Connecticut are still struggling and the Salvation Army expects that they will have more families coming to them for Christmas assistance as well as financial assistance to help with their bills, keep their lights on and pay the rent.
Local
Gov. Ned Lamont attended the kick-off event. He received the "Hero of Hope" award for his work on COVID relief and recovery efforts throughout the state.
He said that over the last year and a half, two years, since the beginning of the pandemic, amazing people stood up, the spirit of volunteerism is extraordinary and it’s really exemplified by the Salvation Army.
You can expect to start seeing hundreds of volunteers out with red kettles in early November.
Anyone looking for additional information on the initiative or ways to donate can visit the Salvation Army's site here
