Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Syracuse Salvation Army Red Kettle donations dwindling

Red kettle volunteers at Destiny USA.
The Salvation Army Syracuse
Red kettle volunteers at Destiny USA.

This season, it appears the purse strings for giving are tight. And the Salvation Army is seeing it firsthand.

Major Charles Roberts with the Syracuse Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign says the charity is having trouble reaching its fundraising goal of $150,000 dollars this year. The Army serves more than 30,000 people annually in the city and Onondaga County, but Roberts says it seems that lately shoppers’ generosity is dwindling.

“Honestly, it’s a struggle for a couple of reasons. One, people don’t carry cash like they used to. So, if people are a little unsure where their money is coming from or what’s going to happen in government, etc. You know, people could get a little close to the vest.”

Roberts says people without cash to donate should know the Salvation Army is now accepting credit card and smart phone donations through the digital Tip Tap app.

“All you got to do is tap your card and you get to choose if it's Google Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo or PayPal. So it's a lot more convenient to make a donation by tapping against one of these modules. And, I've done it and it works like a charm."

Roberts says you can also donate long after seeing a red kettle at your local store, by texting the word “kettles” to 31333 or click here donate online or register to ring.