William (Bill) Oliver has been volunteering for the Salvation Army Christmas kettle for 74 years. While he is now known to be outside Wal-Mart, he has also worked outside of Metropolitan, A and P, Coward’s and Woolworth’s.
By Jeff Helsdon
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Salvation Army’s annual Christmas appeal is behind in donations.
Lt. Drew Young of Tillsonburg Salvation Army, said as of Dec. 7 the donations to date were $82,000, of 44 per cent of the $185,000 goal. Typically, by the beginning of December, donations have crossed the $100,000 mark.
“Things are down because of the Canada Post strike,” Young said. “Normally we send out a letter appeal in the mail where people can donate by sending us their cheques.”
In a normal year, the mass mailing is sent to every business, farm, home and apartment within the catchment area. For Tillsonburg, this stretches north to Mt. Elgin, south to the lake, west to Delhi and east to Aylmer.
“That not happening is what has put an impact on our donations this year,” Young said. “People have been asking and waiting for it.”
The goal for this year’s campaign is $185,000. To deal with the shortfall, the Salvation Army has turned to an online option and is sharing a QR code that takes donors directly to the site.
“We’re asking people to donate online as an alternative to the mail campaign, as well as dropping of cheques into the bubbles in town. All that money comes back to us and stays local,” he said.
Online donations can be completed by going to https://salvationarmy.ca/donation-map/#info and then finding Tillsonburg on the map, or clicking on the QR code with this article. Cheques dropped off in the kettle will still be receipted. Young said if there is a phone number on the cheque, Salvation Army staff have been phoning to ask the donor if they want to pick up the cheque or wait for the mail in the New Year.
Scan this QR code to go to the Salvation Army's online
donation website.
On a positive note, Young said the volunteers for working at the kettles have been great, and there is only four spots left in the six locations.
One thing that hasn’t changed is William (Bill) Oliver manning the kettle outside Wal-Mart. This Tillsonburg resident has been a member of the Salvation Army church since birth, and attending since. He has worked the kettle since he was 10 years-old, and works every shift in the seven-week campaign from 12-6 p.m. outside Wal-Mart.
“He has become an icon at Tillsonburg,” Young said. “People know him to be at Wal-Mart, to be smiling to be cheerful. People wait for him to be at the kettle to give that way.”
Donations to the Salvation Army stay 100 per cent locally. Amongst the initiatives the money goes to are hydro and electrical bill support, feeding program, summer kid’s program, back to school support, warm coat program, Christmas hampers and others.
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