WASILLAâ The Mat-Su Salvation Army is hurting really bad during a really important time of the year, the holidays.
Donations from Red kettles are down 75% in the Valley, due mostly to the drastically low number of volunteer bell ringers, according to The Salvation Army Mat-Su Valley Corps Major Kevin E. Bottjen.
âCOVID has hit us hard,â Bottjen said.
The Salvation Army is facing historic lows in donations while working an uphill battle against a huge spike in overall need for essential services like food, utility and family support services.
âItâs tripled, easily,â Bottjen said.
According to Bottjen, their office typically works 20 to 30 cases a week. Now itâs between 60 to 90 per week. He said that recent food assistance grants have helped them curb the surge in demand, but their limited volunteer base makes everything more difficult. Aside from Bottjen and his wife Tina, thereâs only one paid employee, so the majority of their workforce