The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda works to meet the needs of each community in which they serve. Sometimes this means opening a food bank; other times it means offering shelter. But in Pictou County, N.S., last Remembrance Day, it meant lending the iconic red kettles to the local branch of the Canadian Legion to assist with their Poppy Campaign.

“This is the first request we’ve had of this kind,” says Major Daniel Roode, Salvation Army pastor in Pictou County. “But we knew they were in need, and we wanted to help.”

“Something to Help”

Last year in October, Major Daniel was contacted by Janice Watters, past president of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 16, to see if it was possible to borrow The Salvation Army’s Christmas kettles to collect funds during the Legion’s Poppy Campaign.

“We knew we had strict rules to follow with some locations not allowing us to have a volunteer in the store,” Janice explains, “so we came up with the idea to contact The Salvation Army to see if we could borrow the kettles.”

“It was a great way to ensure that distancing measures were in place for the Poppy Campaign, and for people to make a donation quickly as they visited the retail environment,” says Major Jamie Locke, then divisional secretary for public relations and development for The Salvation Army’s Maritime Division in Halifax. “We were only too happy to come alongside and help and offer up our kettle stands.”

With the Army’s annual kettle campaign beginning on November 16, 2020, Major Daniel was all too familiar with the constraints that the Legion was facing around social distancing and unmanned displays.

“We knew the challenges ahead of us last year, and if we could do something to help another community group, that’s what we were going to do,” Major Daniel explains.

Goodwill and Service

Mike Murdock, president of Legion Branch 16, was grateful for The Salvation Army’s support.

“The kettles were vital to the success of our campaign last year,” he says. “I don’t know what we would have done without the help of The Salvation Army.”

To show their appreciation, Legion members volunteered at the Salvation Army kettles as bell-ringers. “Our members volunteer every year with the kettles,” says Mike. “We will certainly be there to help after this.”

By working together, The Salvation Army and the Royal Canadian Legion continue to raise vital funds to help the Pictou community during this difficult period.

“We have a long-standing relationship of goodwill and service with the Legion,” says Major Daniel. “I’m glad we could help them in their time of need.” 

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