Salvation Army stresses holiday season need in Bellingham amid steep drop in donations
Bellingham’s Salvation Army is reporting a steep drop in donations received so far this holiday season to help meet the food and gift needs of struggling families.
More than $11,000 in donations have been received online, and at Red Kettle locations on street corners and at grocery stores in Bellingham this season. But organization representatives say they need $73,000 more to adequately meet the local need.
“We are working hard to provide food, shelter, toys, and clothing to more families across the Northwest this year,” said Salvation Army Northwest Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Cindy Foley in an announcement about the drop in donations last week.
“In the midst of the growing need, we are seeing fewer people donating at our virtual and physical kettles. We rely on our generous donors to ensure that Christmas joy is given to everyone, no matter their circumstances.”
The Salvation Army did not speculate as to why donations are down. However, donors could be feeling the weight of inflation as wages are not rising at a pace that matches the increasing cost of living.
People in Bellingham are earning more year over year, but it’s not enough to keep up with the increased cost of housing.
“Home and rent prices have escalated dramatically, and too many people are paying more than they can afford for housing. Increasing housing costs mean that residents have fewer dollars to put toward other basic needs,” according to the city of Bellingham’s 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan Overview.
Fifty-six percent of renters and 24% of homeowners are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the city.
Basic needs assistance providers have also seen a huge increase in demand. The Bellingham Food Bank, for example, is having trouble keeping up with the need as visits have increased significantly. Approximately 9,000 households visit Whatcom County food banks each week — a 127% increase since 2021 and more than double the average increase in statewide food bank visits.
Bellingham is not the only area seeing a drop in holiday donations, according to the organization. Donations are down 30% across The Salvation Army’s Northwest Division, which spans across Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana.
The Salvation Army is expected to help serve more than 600,000 people across the Northwest throughout the year. The organization has a goal to raise $3.9 million this year “to help fund vital, lifesaving services such as our Hope Market food pantries, emergency shelters and transitional housing, utility and rental assistance, addiction recovery, and senior and youth programs,” the announcement states.
“The Salvation Army is asking everyone in Bellingham to donate to support neighbors in need this holiday season,” the announcement states. “Red Kettle donations help The Salvation Army meet the urgent needs of thousands of families who will not have Christmas this year without the community’s support.”
The Salvation Army has a 150-year history of offering social supportive services in the United States. Almost 30 million Americans receive assistance from the organization each year ranging from hunger relief, disaster relief, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide, according to the organization.
