The Salvation Army of Broward County Red Kettle and Holiday Kick Off began November 22nd. This year, the nonprofit organization launched its recognizable Red Kettle #FightForGood holiday campaign with a new way to give via digital donations. For the second year, The Salvation Army will also be working with Amazon.com to offer a wider-reaching gift registry for its Angel Tree Program in addition to its physical Angel Trees located throughout Broward County.

“This is an exciting time for The Salvation Army of Broward County as we expand our reach to assist our community through digital platforms,” said Major Stephen Long, Area Commander for The Salvation Army of Broward County. “Kettle Pay makes it even easier for donors to join The Salvation Army’s Fight for Good while adopting an angel is the simplest, most direct way to bring joy to thousands of less fortunate children and families. Even the smallest donation can make a huge world of difference to those experiencing seasonal hardship.”

This year’s Red Kettle initiative will have donation points at more than 50 retail locations throughout Broward County. The Salvation Army of Broward has placed smart chips and QR codes on the Red Kettle signs, allowing shoppers to simply “bump” or scan their phones to make a digital donation. Shoppers will be directed to a custom donation page that accepts Apple or Google payment options. The funds will then be distributed to the local organization based on the donor’s billing ZIP code, and an email receipt will be sent directly to their phone.

The time-honored tradition of brightening an underserved child’s holiday by adopting an angel has also been upgraded by offering two easy ways to give – through visits to local retail locations and, through Amazon.com. The “angels” are real children with real needs who live in Broward County. The Salvation Army works with several other agencies in our community to identify and qualify those families who need the most help. Charitable individuals and groups seeking a simple opportunity to brighten a family’s holiday can “adopt” any number of angels from special trees at the following retail locations: Galleria Mall, Westfield Broward, Pembroke Lakes Mall, or Walmart.

Both the physical and virtual Angel Tree tags detail a child’s wishes, sizing and other pertinent information plus instructions. Donors can fulfill the gift request on the tag ($25 to $30 per child, as this may be the only gift the child receives) and unwrapped gifts may be delivered back to the Angel Tree location by Friday, Dec. 13 (gifts purchased through the virtual Angel Tree Registry will be sent directly to The Salvation Army of Broward via choosing the address location upon checkout) for Toy Shop distribution on Friday, December 20. 

The Salvation Army works with several other agencies in our community to identify and qualify those families who need the most help. Each year, it delivers more than 3,200 gifts and holiday cheer to Broward County recipients. For more information, visit www.salvationarmyflorida.org/fortlauderdale or call 954-524-6991.