Salvation Army kettle drive underway

GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Christmas is just around the corner, which means the Salvation Army is working hard trying to collect donations to help those in need this holiday season.

As we countdown to Christmas, these last two weeks are the most critical when it comes to kettle donations for the Salvation Army.

The kettle drive is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the non-profit group. Donations collected from the kettles are used year-round, not just for the holidays. They also make up a good percentage of the group's annual budget.

Here in Greenfield, it's about 20%.

After talking with the Captain of the Greenfield chapter, he said they're a little more than halfway to reaching their goal this season.

“We got off to a slow start,” said Daniel Brunelle. “We're about 10% behind in our daily collections. But things seem to be on an uptick lately. We've raised, locally here, about $24,000 out of a goal of $44,800.”

If you'd like to help donate, you can drop a cash or check donation into any red kettle. Checks should be made out to the "Salvation Army". Or you can always donate online .