Dreaming of a Green Christmas

And the Christmas in July theme is one that went beyond telemarketing. The Western Pennsylvania Division raised nearly $40,000 in July this year through a combination of Hang-a-Kettle sales (where customers at retail locations pay a dollar for cut-out paper kettles that they write their names on and hang in a specific location in the store) and actual kettle donation locations with bell ringers like at Christmas time. This summer, the Army teamed up with the Eckerd pharmacy chain for the program. While the national Salvation Army is there as a resource for its many local divisions, the Christmas in July campaign — both in stores and on the phone — was an idea that came from the Western Pennsylvania Division.