By Briana Vannozzi
Correspondent
It’s the familiar soundtrack to holiday shopping — bell ringers manning the Salvation Army red kettle sites, collecting spare change, doling out smiles. But the charity that helps roughly 700,000 New Jersey residents a year says it could use a little assistance itself.
“We are seeing across the state a decline a bit in New Jersey and we’re watching that very carefully. We really think it has something to do with people shopping online. They’re not out and about as much and people just don’t carry cash any more,” said Major Ivan Rock of Salvation Army New Jersey.
Outside the Elizabeth ShopRite, Majors Ivan and Christine Rock stand with volunteer bell ringers. He says donations are down about 10 percent this year.
“Back in 2011 we were at $2.3 million and it’s progressively gone down a little bit through the years,” Ivan Rock said.
The Salvation Army gives 82 cents of every dollar it collects to dozens of services and 30 million Americans nationwide.
“I think people associate the Salvation Army with the poorest of the poor and they should. They absolutely should. We are definitely there to feed and clothe those who have really nothing. But I don’t think that people understand that we help people from all walks of life, many people who are working poor,” Christine Rock said.
“When my mother needed financial help, they were the only ones who helped her so every year I make sure I always donate to them,” said Elizabeth resident Edward Wahl.
Nationally the organization is faring well. And it recently got a boost from Dallas Cowboys player Ezekiel Elliott’s victory hop into a red kettle on the sidelines. The downward trend seems to be isolated to the Northeast. In 2011, the Salvation Army collected $30 million here, but that number has slowly trickled to just under $28.5 million last year.
The money collected at the kettles still goes to emergency services, providing food, clothes, shelter and disaster relief, even education programs. To keep up with the times and the fact that people aren’t carrying cash, the Salvation Army now has a texting program. You can text njkettle to 41444 and make a donation online.
“Last year we were able to raise $1.9 million in the kettles. That surprises people, those nickels and dimes, they start to add up,” Ivan Rock said.
The Salvation Army says those kettles won’t be going away.
“It’s also for us to be grateful for what we have and to realize that we don’t really give until it hurts. It should be easy to give some,” said Elizabeth resident Chloe.
Signifying the start of the holiday season, and teaching the spirit of giving.