Here’s how to help feed, support those in need during holidays

Volunteers and workers with The Salvation Army are launching their annual holiday season drive to help folks in need of assistance.

The inaugural Kailua-Kona Red Kettle Kick-off event was held at The Fish Hopper on Nov. 14. Various activities with Angel Trees, and other red kettles at various retail locations on Hawaii Island, are getting underway.

With the holidays quickly approaching, The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division is welcoming donations and volunteer support from Hawaii’s businesses and the public to help those in need this holiday season.

“Supporting The Salvation Army’s programs during the holidays not only addresses short-term, immediate needs, but also helps increase an individual’s sufficiency for the long term through our programs like Pathway of Hope and others,” said Major John Chamness, divisional leader for The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division.

“We seek cash and in-kind donations of goods and volunteer service from Hawaii businesses and the public this Christmas season. Together, we can continue ‘Doing the Most Good’ in our communities across the state.”

Last year, more than 65,000 toys for keiki and household items for seniors were donated through the Angel Tree program in Hawaii.

Opportunities for supporting those in need during the 2014 holiday season include:

— Adopt a family or a senior: Individuals, families or businesses can adopt a specific family or senior to support during the holidays. For details, contact the Development Department at (808) 988-2136.

— Angel Trees: Every keiki deserves to experience the joy of Christmas morning. And, thanks to supporters of The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, thousands of keiki in Hawaii will find gifts under their Christmas trees this year. Seniors also are included in the program.

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, supported in Hawaii by Central Pacific Bank, provides new clothing or toys for keiki and seniors in need through the support of donors. Christmas trees are decorated with paper angel tag ornaments with the first name, age and gender of a keiki or senior in need of presents. Donors remove one or more tags from the Angel Tree and purchase appropriate gifts for keiki or senior described on the tags.

Angel Trees will be available at all Central Pacific Bank (CPB) branches starting Monday, Nov. 24, and at many malls and stores around the state starting Nov. 28. And, thanks to the generosity of Aloha United Way (AUW), the Oahu Angel Tree gifts will be collected and sorted at a warehouse facility near downtown Honolulu donated by AUW. In addition, customers may make cash donations at all Burger King Hawaii restaurants throughout the state between Nov. 10 and Dec. 15. The donations will go towards keiki Angel Tree gifts.

— Christmas: Buy a meal, clothes and more for those in need. Donate $25 or more to help cover the costs of food, clothes and more for those in need so they can celebrate Christmas. For more details, or to make a donation, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org or call (808) 988-2136.

— Grocery store registers: From Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, customers at all Foodland and Sack N Savestores in Hawaii will be able to make donations at checkout through Foodland’s “Share a Holiday Feast” program to help those less fortunate in Hawaii. Those donations will be turned into Foodland gift certificates and distributed by The Salvation Army to families in need on each island where the donations were received.

— Red kettles: The sights and sounds of The Salvation Army’s Red Kettles and bell ringers are synonymous with the holiday season. Red Kettle donations support community based programs in the area of each island where each donation is made.

— Online red kettles: Businesses and individuals also can set up virtual red kettles on a website. Visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org for details.

— Point of sale paper kettles: Businesses can set up paper Red Kettles at their location to help collect funds for those in need. For details, contact the Development Department at (808) 988-2136.

— Adopt a red kettle: Businesses can adopt an actual red kettle or counter kettle for their reception area, office, or store front for a minimum sponsorship of $1,000.

— New for 2014: The Salvation Army is reaching out via social media to highlight reasons why people support TSA and their programs in local communities via the Red Kettle. Simply tag a message with #RedKettleReason. For examples and more details, visit redkettlereason.org.

— Volunteers needed: Volunteers are the heartbeat of The Salvation Army. During the holidays, there are many ways to be involved in volunteering. Help ring a bell or be a part of a special event. View available opportunities at hawaii.salvationarmy.org.

— Year-end giving: Year-end gifts can significantly reduce a donor’s income taxes while providing support to those in need and the many programs in communities across Hawaii. Funds are tracked by zip code and stay in the communities in which they are donated. For more details, or to make a donation, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org or call (808)-988-2136.

The Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division of The Salvation Army serves the State of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands including Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands and The Federated States of Micronesia.

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a range of social services: food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter for the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. Eighty-two cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org or hawaii.salvationarmy.org.