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Community Corner

The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County remains thousnads of dollars shy of 2013 Red Kettle goal

The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County remains about $30,000 short of its $330,000 goal for its 2013 Christmas fundraiser and is urging supporters to contribute to the annual campaign through Friday, Jan. 31.

Last weekend’s extreme snowfall and the dangerously low temperatures that have followed, underscore the vital support The Salvation Army provides to individuals throughout Washtenaw County in terms of food, shelter and more. A donation of just $10 helps feed one person for a month, while a $25 contribution provides a winter coat for a child in need. The Salvation Army can offer meal, lodging, transportation and clothing assistance to an entire family with a $50 donation.

The Salvation Army is asking Washtenaw County residents to give generously to ensure their neighbors’ needs are fully met this year by:

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·         donating online at www.sawashtenaw.org

·         calling (734) 668-8353

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·         sending a check to either of the following:

o   The Salvation Army Ann Arbor Corps, 100 Arbana Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48103

o   The Salvation Army Ypsilanti Corps, 9 S. Park St., Ypsilanti, MI 48198

Donations made in January to the 2013 campaign will earn donors a charitable deduction on their 2014 income tax.

Data released this fall by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals 42.3 percent of individuals in the city of Detroit are living in poverty, and 17.5 percent overall in the state of Michigan. Last year, The Salvation Army saw a 10 percent increase in the food and shelter assistance it provided to metro Detroiters.

Red Kettle funds are vital to ensure the organization can continue providing more than 23,500 meals and more than 12,000 nights of shelter each year to neighbors in need in Washtenaw County.

“Our supporters have shown great compassion and kindness by dropping donations in kettles across the county during the 2013 Red Kettle Campaign,” said Major John Williams, administrator of The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County. “We’re urging supporters to continue their generosity to help us raise the necessary funds to ensure we can continue to provide essential services such as food and shelter to all those in need throughout the new year.”

About The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County

Operating from service centers in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti for more than 100 years, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination. This past year, The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County was involved in providing 23,506 meals and 12,017 nights of shelter. The Salvation Army-Washtenaw County uses an average of $.82 of every dollar donated to provide a food pantry, soup kitchen, clothing assistance, a family shelter, transitional housing and counseling for veterans, character building for youth, camp programs, emergency and disaster relief, utility assistance and eviction prevention. For more information about The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County, please visit us at www.sawashtenaw.org or call 734-668-8353.


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