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The Salvation Army in Bartlesville needs your help to reach its goal this holiday season.

Captain Ian Carr said the Salvation Army of Bartlesville is looking to raise $68,000 by the end of Thursday, Dec. 24th. Carr said they've raised approximately $34,000. He said they're also looking for volunteers.

Several locations are open for volunteers this week and next week. If you wish to volunteer, you can call the Salvation Army at 918.336.6454.

Captain Carr said funds raised go towards the Salvation Army of Bartlesville's assistance programs for those in need in Washington and Osage counties. He said it will help them provide services such as food, utility, gas, and rent assistance.

According to Captain Carr, the Salvation Army has one of the best track records as any other charity in the world. Carr said 82 cents of every dollar goes directly back into programs and services in the communities they serve in Washington and Osage counties. He said the money goes towards programs, services, utility assistance, financial aid, rent assistance, Christmas assistance, special circumstances, funeral assistance and much more.

Nationally, the Salvation Army has predicted a 50-percent decline in red kettle donations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Captain Carr said he doesn't want to say less traffic at their red kettle donation sites is the problem because there have been plenty of people getting out and shopping at places like Walmart in Bartlesville. He said getting volunteers is probably the biggest issue the Salvation Army faces.

Volunteers may not be able to volunteer because they're in a more vulnerable demographic. Captain Carr said most of the volunteers the Salvation Army has year after year are older. With COVID-19, Carr said they may not feel as comfortable or confident with giving like they did in the past. He said they also have groups that have had scheduling conflicts that have caused them to not volunteer as much.

Captain Carr added that some groups haven't been able to meet due to COVID-19, which has also played a role in their lack of volunteers. When it comes to donations at red kettle sites, Carr said they take into account that people may be shopping online more in 2020. Lastly, Captain Carr said the outlook on the global economy may be causing people to watch their finances more, so they're giving less and being more conservative.

Despite this concern, Captain Carr said they trust that God will provide and that there goals will be met. Carr said they still had a tremendous amount of support with the holiday meals they served around Thanksgiving, and they've had plenty of people adopt an angel through the Salvation Army of Bartlesville's Angel Tree program. He said the continued support of the community will impact the year to come.