Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By CHARITY SMITH
Ironwood — The Salvation Army didn’t fare as well this holiday season as it has in previous years. Locally, the 2021 Red Kettle Campaign brought in $25,000, which is 50% of its 2020 earnings.
The Salvation Army had a constant kettle at the Walgreens in Ironwood. Several volunteers manned the kettle from time to time. There was occasionally a manned kettle outside Walmart, thanks to the efforts of Dusty Boggs of Ironwood.
According to Jamie Stiffarm, director of the local Salvation Army, Boggs was the only person to volunteer to ring the bell at Walmart. She said that his offers provided a fifth of this year’s donations.
Stiffarm said she is grateful for all those who donated this year. “People are so generous on the Range and I am so grateful.”
The Salvation Army relies on the generosity of the community to be able to assist others, said Stiffarm.
The funds from the 2021 Red Kettle Campaign will help provide for aid to those in need. The organization helps to provide assistance to fire victims, veterans, and other members of the community, she said. This includes food assistance, financial assistance for utilities, transportation assistance and housing assistance.
Stiffarm said that because of the shortfall in donations this year, after a family receives assistance from the organization there will be a year and a half wait time before that family can be serviced again. She said this wait time will allow them to stretch the monies they have to help as many families as possible.
“Our goal is to do the most good,” said Stiffarm. “We are to fear and love and trust God above all else and we’re supposed to help others. We are to look at our neighbors as ourselves. We are supposed to help others. Just like the Golden Rule is for some people, what the five pillars are to Hindus, it’s that kindness that we need to offer others.”
The Salvation Army is still able to accept donations until Jan. 15 to assist families in 2022. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 86, Ironwood, MI 49938.
Stiffarm said to ensure that funds directly benefit the local community, donors need to put in the memo that the funds are for Gogebic County, Michigan, or Iron County, Wisconsin. “Otherwise we don’t see them, and that is a shame,” she said.
