Giving Tuesday: Salvation Army kicks off Red Kettle Campaign in Newark

The Salvation Army Newark Corps kicked off its Red Kettle Campaign today on Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday is a day that Americans come together to give back to their communities. The unofficial holiday takes place each year on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
“The need has only increased so families who were a bit well-off aren’t as well-off,” says Major Jonathan Jackson, with the Salvation Army New Jersey Division. "We have all been affected by this, and we all as a community, as a state, need to find a way to bounce back together.”
The Salvation Army works to make the holiday season more enjoyable for many as they kick off the Hope Marches on Campaign in Newark and throughout the state. About 400 red kettles are set up statewide. The organization says around 90% of the donations received are directed back to the community.
“During Christmastime, it’s all about the kids,” says Drew Grisham, director of Human Services with the Salvation Army. “Many of the families unfortunately are thinking about food on the table or paying the light bill. You’re not thinking about Christmas.”
As eviction moratoriums are being lifted at the end of the year in New Jersey, the funds in the kettles go toward helping with food, utilities, rent, mortgage and youth programming.
According to the national calendar, the National Day of Giving was started in 2012 as a way to focus on charities and nonprofits after the commercialization seen on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.