Local Salvation Army campaign raises more than $440,000 for community support

Pictured is the Salvation Army staff that makes sure the Kettle Campaign runs smoothly including, from left, Raelyn Marshall, Elaine Honcharsky, Rick Honcharsky, Jennifer Morris, Nancy Argyle and Michael Tigani.

By Amanda Nelson

The Salvation Army in Stratford recently celebrated local volunteers at its volunteer appreciation luncheon, where kettle volunteers gathered to share lunch, stories and learn about the impact of the 2025 Christmas kettle campaign.

This year, The Salvation Army surpassed its goal of $385,000, raising more than $440,000 for local programs and services. Funds were directed toward the operating budget, including food purchases and programs such as the food bank and an income tax clinic.

“Surpassing our goal was not expected, but a pleasant surprise,” said Jennifer Morris, community and family services manager. “We had lots of community partners step up and make sure everyone had a Christmas, whether that was food, toys or hygiene items. We even had pet toys this year.”

Morris said the demographic of people needing support continues to shift.

“We’re seeing more people who are in retirement accessing support,” she said. “The money they have through their pension isn’t covering everything anymore. We also see people who are working, but even their income isn’t enough to cover their needs.”

The Salvation Army raises its entire annual budget during the Christmas season. This year, across Stratford, St. Marys and Mitchell, the campaign raised a total of $440,968.48.

St. Marys

In St. Marys, Foodland raised $11,025, the Your Independent Grocer raised $23,162, the LCBO raised $699, Scotiabank raised $16,149 and mail-in donations totalled $89,252 for a grand total of $142,141.

The St. Marys Salvation Army serves an average of 70 households per month and distributes more than 36,025 pounds of food annually. In 2025, volunteers contributed more than 858 hours.

Throughout the year, 694 food hampers were provided to community members in need, along with 84 bags of diapers, 121 Christmas hampers and nine backpacks filled with school supplies. Four children were sent to camp, eight feline-friend vouchers for spay and neuter services were issued, 49 income tax returns were completed and 22 emergency food hampers were distributed.

Stratford

In Stratford, Canadian Tire raised $12,446, Food Basics raised $19,903, the downtown LCBO raised $16,839, the Stratford Mall raised $10,748, No Frills raised $10,600, Sobeys raised $18,212, Walmart raised $25,234, Zehrs raised $28,378, and other donations — including mail-in and online contributions — totalled $99,179. The Stratford campaign raised $242,283.

An average of 123 households per month accessed Salvation Army services in Stratford, with more than 55,125 pounds of food distributed. Volunteer hours totalled 2,426.

In 2025, the Stratford Salvation Army provided 12 feline-friend vouchers for spay and neuter services, completed 313 income tax returns, distributed 65 bags of diapers, sent one child to camp, provided 17 backpacks filled with school supplies, distributed 184 Christmas hampers and 1,000 food hampers, and issued five emergency food hampers.

For more information or to donate, visit www.salarmycfs.ca.