Giant Cuts Salvation Army's Red Kettle Hours

Expect to see The Salvation Army's bell ringers significantly less this holiday season. Just two weeks before the red kettle season started, Giant food stores announced a reduced schedule for ringers.

Giant's new policy only allows for one full week of collection in November and December, otherwise ringers are limited to four hours a day, and only in the evening.

In their official statement about the reduction in Salvation Army hours, Giant said the reason for the change is allow more groups to hold their fundraising efforts outside of their stores. "We receive hundreds of requests from groups requesting
permission to use the areas outside of our stores for fundraising,
education purposes, and to collect signatures. Because of the increased
needs in our communities, we felt it essential to create opportunities for
as many community groups as possible," the statement read.

"Giant believes that non-profit organizations and community groups are vital
to the communities we serve. We have recently increased the opportunity
for groups to have a presence outside our stores. Previously groups were
permitted on Saturday and Sunday. We have expanded the opportunities to
Monday through Saturday, one group per day per store, with opportunities
being coordinated and scheduled through our local store managers."

Store Manager Bryan Jacobs of the Columbia Pike location said he knows Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of the most important holidays for the Salvation Army, but there has not been any positive or negative feedback from customers about the change in hours at the store.

"I've had customers come up and say they feel the reduction in hours isn't right because we're helping people," said bell ringer Leslie Mann at the Giant store on Columbia Pike, one of two in Annandale. The other is in Bradlick Shopping Center off of Braddock Rd.

There are 292 red kettles in the Washington Metro area and last year, 45 percent of the donations were generated at Giant Food stores.

"The Salvation Army has a long tradition of the Red Kettles. The tradition is older then you and I put together multiplied by four," Salvation Army spokesman Ken Forsythe said. "We are fully believing that our supporters will come through. We're not looking at this negatively, we're looking at this as another development."

Despite the setback, The Salvation Army still hopes to raise $1.6 million dollars and is utilizing a new online donation system, in hopes of regaining the money lost by the new policy. Because of the reduced hours, bell ringers prefer to stand outside other stores in order to work eight or nine hours, instead of only four.

"Salvation's a good thing. I don't mind it either way. Santa Claus will still be around," said resident Ed Davis about the change.

Even though The Salvation Army has been contacting other businesses to host bell-ringers, they are still proud to count Giant as one of their community partners.