Mississippians looking to donate money to the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign now have a new way to contribute other than cash.
During the holiday season it's an all too familiar sight, a ringing bell, a red kettle and a volunteer standing outside the grocery store asking for donations on behalf of the Salvation Army. For years, the charitable organization's Red Kettle Campaign could only accept cash, but now consumers have the option to make a credit or debit card donations.
Captain Ken Chapman is the regional coordinator for the Salvation Army in Jackson. He says adding cards into the mix could significantly increase the amount the organization brings in at the end of the year.
"The Red Kettle Campaign for this season, from November 17, until December 24, we're hoping to raise $500 thousand from the kettle campaign," says Chapman. We hope this technology will boost that up to $600 or $650 (thousand)."
This is the first time any chapter of the Salvation Army has accepted credit and debit cards as part of the Red Kettle Challenge. For this year, the organization will place 20 card machines around Central Mississippi. Dave Miller is with C-Spire, the company that donated the cellphones and tablets used to swipe the cards.
"We're a Mississippi based company; we really do like to give back and support the communities that our customers are and where our employees live and work," says Miller. "We've been a longtime supporter of the Salvation Army, but this is a new way to use our technology and our capability and what we bring to the table and help this great organization out."
Officials with both C-Spire and the Salvation Army stress that the technology used to accept credit card donations is secure.
