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# Ring the kettle slowly: Contributions are down
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/ring-the-kettle-slowly-contributions-are-down/
- Published: 2005-12-23T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T08:22:04.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Community, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*By Daily Press staff*

The season of giving is falling flat this year. The Salvation Army Southern California Division reports that contributions in the traditional red Christmas kettles are down 5 percent from last year. In 2004, the Salvation Army Southern California Division’s Christmas kettle campaign brought in $1.9 million.

“Spare change dropped in a kettle can turn into a significant amount that allows the Salvation Army to help area families make ends meet all-year round,” said Major Paul R. Seiler, divisional commander of The Salvation Army Southern California. “The money collected stays in the community in which it’s donated so while we acknowledge donors have been extremely generous this year, we encourage the continued support in order to assist the neediest in our communities.”

Each year, during the holiday season, more and more people look to The Salvation Army for assistance. The Salvation Army expects to serve more than 350,000 people in the Southern California area this year. Many of them will be families, homeless women and children, older adults, the transient and the unemployed. In order to serve the needs of each individual, The Salvation Army Southern California will be serving dinner, handing out toys, distributing food baskets and raising money to help support the work of the Salvation Army. Elks host kids-only Christmas bash

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 23, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/122305.pdf?ref=smdp.com)