MUSCATINE, Iowa–Because of the generosity of hundreds of Muscatine County residents, the 2020 Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign was a huge success. Look for the official numbers to be released soon. The money that is collected in the red kettles, in addition to a mail appeal, is used to fund numerous worthy projects throughout the year, as well as meeting the needs of hundreds of deserving residents.

A partial list of how some of these funds were spent in January and February include:

• Opening the Salvation Army building at 1000 Oregon Street to provide a warm shelter for residents.
• Provided blankets, hats, and gloves for families in need.
• Paid $1,000 to help families with utility bills.
• Ongoing food distribution through their food pantry.
• Provided 3 nights lodging in an emergency disaster situation.
• Served several hundred hot meals to local residents.
• The Character Building kids program made blessing bags for snow plow drivers.
• Hosted a virtual outreach with Iowa Works for the Pathway of Hope clients.

This list is just a sampling of how the Red Kettle dollars have been spent in our county the last two months.  A great big thank you to all of the generous residents who responded to the 2020 Red Kettle campaign to make these ongoing efforts possible.