Volunteers are vital to the success of our Christmas fundraising campaign. Our volunteer bell-ringers stand by red kettle locations throughout the community gladly accepting monetary donations.
These donations go towards programming in our church including our Food Bank, Christmas Assistance Program and other programs that help families in need in our community.
Join us in making a difference this Christmas season
Apply to become a volunteer today!
Are you an existing kettle volunteer?
Sign in to The Salvation Army portal to easily schedule and manage your shifts.
For too many Canadians, the necessities of life needed for basic human dignity are out of reach. Poverty affects millions of Canadians, making access to everyday needs, like food, clothing and shelter, difficult. The Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign is a fundraising effort that occurs each year during the Christmas season. Kettles are found in 2,000 locations across Canada and are an opportunity for the public to donate whatever funds they can to support the work of The Salvation Army during the Christmas season and throughout the year. Funds raised through donations made at Christmas kettles, together with other sources of funds, help provide direct, compassionate, hands-on service to over 1.9 million people each year in Canada, restoring hope and dignity to those who might otherwise remain invisible in society.
In 1891, Captain Joseph McFee wanted to help the vulnerable in San Francisco, especially during the Christmas season, but he didn’t know where to get funding to do so. He remembered, during his earlier days in Liverpool, England, seeing a large kettle where passengers of boats that docked nearby were able to toss coins to help the poor. Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing, and encouraged the public to “Keep the Pot Boiling.” He collected enough to host a Christmas dinner for the poor. The first time a kettle was used in Canada was in Toronto in 1903.
While Salvation Army Christmas kettles can be found all across Canada, and around the world, each Christmas kettle location is organized and managed by a local Salvation Army unit. The funds raised stay in the community in which they were donated and are used to support local Salvation Army programs for people in need. Donate your time to volunteer at a Christmas Kettle!