With economy faltering, worries about red kettles

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

Mayor Thomas M. Menino rang the bell at the Downtown Crossing event this morning.

By Globe Staff

In past years, when times have gotten tough, people have dug deep in their pockets to put cash in the Salvation Army's distinctive red kettles. This year, the organization's officials worry, might be different.

“In other times, what these economic downturns had meant was maybe no raise this year, maybe no Christmas bonus. But now, we’re looking at folks that may be going from a donor to being a client,” said Major Raphael Jackson, general secretary of the Salvation Army of Massachusetts.

The Salvation Army held the kickoff for its kettle campaign today in Boston’s Downtown Crossing. Jackson said in a telephone interview after the event that the campaign collected $3.1 million in 2007 and he was hoping it would raise $3.5 million this year.

The money is used for a variety of purposes, including meals, toys, and clothing for the unfortunate during the holiday season. Whatever remains is used for the organization’s after-school centers, senior centers, day care centers, and homeless shelters. The campaign will run until Christmas, though in some areas, it may go into the next week, Jackson said.

Jackson said a good part of his organization’s donor base is middle- and lower-middle-class families who have worked their way up over the generations and respect what the Salvation Army does. Those people might find it harder to contribute this year, he said.

“Some of our donors are finding themselves in a precarious situation now, so we’re concerned,” he said.

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