Salvation Army raises $4M toward goal

The Salvation Army holiday fundraising campaign is on track to meet its goal.

The nonprofit has raised about $4 million in the Twin Cities metro area and hopes to reach $9.8 million by the end of December. About half of that money has been donated in the Salvation Army's traditional red kettles.

Spokeswoman Annette Bauer said donations will be used throughout the year to help a growing number of Minnesotans in crisis.

"We are seeing an increase in need in our housing, in our requests for food at our food shelves and our hot meal programs, our after-school programs, things like that," Bauer said. "So those are the types of things that we will pour this money into."

Bauer said the Salavation Army has plenty of volunteers to serve Christmas meals and help with its free toy distribution, but it still needs more bell-ringers at kettles around the state.

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