Bells will soon be ringing across Charlotte signaling the start of the Christmas season. The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte is preparing for its iconic annual Red Kettle campaign, and it’s in need of volunteer bell ringers.

The Red Kettle campaign kick-offed on Nov. 16 and runs through Dec. 24. Kettles will be found in more than 50 locations around Charlotte (with scores more in the metro region). Volunteers can sign up for 4-hour-shifts (4 to 8 p.m.), or adopt a whole day, Monday through Saturday throughout the campaign. To sign up to volunteer for the Red Kettle Campaign in Charlotte, visit SalvationArmyCharlotte.org/volunteer (For information on the Red Kettle campaign in surrounding counties, contact your local Salvation Army office.)

“Volunteers play a vital role with The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle program,” said Major Larry Broome, Area Commander for The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte. “Kettles staffed with volunteers help us dedicate even more of our resources to directly serving families who need us most. Plus, it’s a great outreach and service opportunity for individuals, corporate groups or church groups.”

Last year, The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte raised more than $300,000 in the Red Kettles, funds that are critical for providing year-round services to homeless families and at-risk youth in our community.

The Red Kettle Campaign has been a staple of the Christmas season for more than 125 years. The Salvation Army traces its history in Charlotte back to 1904, when two sisters opened the first Salvation Army Corps on South Church Street. The following year, the first kettles were placed along the streets of Charlotte. The kickoff ceremony for this year’s campaign will be Friday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. at the Harris Teeter in SouthEnd (2717 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28209).

For 90 years, Children’s Home Society of NC’s Little Red Stocking Fund has provided hope for North Carolina families. Hope for children like Landon, 5, Liam, 3, and Chloe Grace, 2, whose adoption was completed in July.

Adoptive mother Tori Brasher was homeless as a child. Thanks to the supportive teachers who saw her potential and nurtured it, today she is an assistant principal who was drawn to foster care and adoption given her challenges growing up.  “All children need a family. They deserve the right to be children,” said Brasher.

Children’s Home Society is pleased to launch this year’s annual fundraising effort with all proceeds going to provide permanent, safe, and loving families for children in need.

“For donors, it takes awareness and support on all levels. We have to be all in,” Brasher said. “When I went to the hospital and found out the only clothes the baby had were the clothes she was wearing, I was heartbroken for her. CHS provided gift cards for clothing – it meant the world to me. There’s no reason why we as a community can’t be there for all children.”

“The Little Red Stocking campaign allows us to provide the highest quality adoption and foster care services, as well as educational programs to keep families healthy, strong, and intact,” said Brian Maness, President & CEO of Children’s Home Society.  “Our needs are greater than ever, with nearly 12,000 children living in foster care in North Carolina and more than 500 youth aging out of foster care each year.”

Proceeds from last year’s Little Red Stocking Fund helped CHS serve more than 18,000 North Carolina children and families. This included providing a safe haven for more than 870 children with foster care families, giving 203 children a permanent family to call their own through adoption, and providing educational services to nearly 13,000 teens, parents, and professionals.

You can give hope to children across North Carolina this year by supporting the annual Little Red Stocking Fund.  For more information and to donate to the Little Red Stocking campaign, please call 1-800-632-1400 or visit https://www.chsnc.org/lrs.

The holidays can be especially challenging for grieving families of fallen military heroes.

On December 7, 2019, the Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express (GSF SBE) service will send Charlotte family members of the fallen on an all-expenses paid 5-day retreat featuring therapeutic and inspiring programs at Disney World® in Orlando, Florida. This therapeutic retreat will offer fun and inspiring programs, encouraging critical peer-to-peer support for these families.

No matter where these families may be in their grieving process, Snowball Express aims to provide a memorable experience where they can access support, create new bonds, make positive memories, and build a community with the only people who can truly understand their loss: each other.

Snowball Express began in 2006, with a letter written by a fallen Soldier to his wife, only to be opened should he perish in battle. While the letter expressed many things, one wish was that they visit Disneyland.  From that letter, Snowball Express was created to bring together the children and surviving spouses of fallen U.S. military heroes for a healing retreat.

Thanks to the official airline partner American Airlines, the Gary Sinise Foundation will unite these families in a way that honors that initial letter from the fallen Soldier – at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando Florida. In addition, families will have direct access to complimentary resources such as counseling services, application support for educational scholarships, education and access to medical and government benefits, financial counseling and assistance, mentoring, and aid for those with special needs or disabilities. GSF SBE will offer a variety of activities and entertainment, including a concert from Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band.

This trip is made possible by the Foundation’s generous donors, its official airlines partner American Airlines, and its corporate partners: Owens Corning, ATD, Aerotek, WoodmenLife, and Highland Capital Management.