RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN DIFFERENT FROM MOST CHARITIES
Often when someone donates money to a national charity, they never know how much will actually be spent in their own community. The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign at Brenham’s Walmart is different.
District Attorney Julie Renken, her husband Tyler and daughters Moriah and Gabe have served as the Honorary Chair Family for the Red Kettle Campaign for the past nine years. Renken says “My Family has made this a part of our holiday tradition. We believe so strongly in the campaign because 100 percent of the funds remain in Washington County to serve our local residents.” Brenham’s Faith Mission is the direct recipient of funds raised through Red Kettle donations at Walmart. Renken says, “Whether its fire victims, Domestic Violence victims we see in our office or other disasters, Faith Mission is there to meet the needs of our local people.” George and Cheryl Preston, and their sons Joel and Bryson, have also made ringing the bell part of their family tradition of service.
In 2016 Faith Mission provided over 3,884 shelter nights for the homeless, provided over 26,626 meals to the hungry through the Cannery Kitchen, filled clothing requests for over 772 people through Higgins Branch, and provided medication and medical assistance to a little under 2,000 people at a medical cost saving of over $2.6 million dollars. Faith Mission C.E.O. JD Young says, “Both the historic 2016 flood and 2017 Hurricane Harvey have stretched and strained our finances due to having to repair damage to our own facilities, loss of revenues from Higgins Branch on Blue Bell Rd., and the demand for disaster-related Service. Yet we are grateful because the Good Lord always provides a way for us to set-up and meet the needs no matter the Disaster, and we could not do it without the generosity of our community.”
Pam Mossbarger, the coordinator of the Red Kettle Campaign said, “I’d like to thank our community and all our partners especially Brenham National Bank and Walmart.” Mossbarger says if you can’t come out to Walmart you can donate online and designate it as part of the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign at www.faithmission.us. You can also sign up there to volunteer as a bell ringer for the campaign.
