GOMOC, Community Action join to run Red Kettle Drive this holiday season

Donations have dropped significantly in recent years

Photos by Ginny Kropf: Kristina Ettinger, left, community services manager at Community Action, hands a Red Kettle to Jami Allport, executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern. The two agencies will oversee the Red Kettle Drive in Orleans County this holiday season.

ALBION – Two agencies that serve Orleans and Genesee counties are combining their efforts to re-invent the annual Red Kettle drive in Orleans County through the Salvation Army.

The Red Kettle Campaign is a long-standing tradition which not only provides essential resources, such as food, clothing and emergency assistance, but also brings the community together in the spirit of giving, according to Jami Allport, executive director of Ministry of Concern.

This holiday season, the three organizations will work together to raise funds that directly support individuals and families in need throughout Orleans County.

Jami Allport, executive director of Genesee-Orleans Ministry of Concern, shows the stickers which will be affixed to anything supplied to the needy which was paid for with donations from Red Kettles.

“We have seen a drop in the amount of money being raised since COVID,” said Ann Vail, Service Extension Director of the USA Eastern Territory for the Salvation Army.

“We are excited to collaborate on this critical campaign that supports our community,” said Ryan Lasal, director of Community and Family Program Innovation/Chief Innovation Officer at Community Action of Orleans and Genesee.

“This year we are going to try something new,” said Jami Allport.

Ettinger is Community Services Manager with Community Action of Orleans.

“With our agencies and new ideas, we’re hoping to get donations up where they used to be,” Allport said.

In 2015, Red Kettle donations totaled $26,110, but dropped to $12,320 in 2023 and $6,720 last year.

Only three locations allow bell ringers in Orleans County – Walmart and Tops in Albion and Medina. This year, table top kettles will be utilized, Allport said. They will be placed in multiple strategic locations throughout Orleans County.

“We will be saturating Orleans County with Red Kettles as much as possible,” Allport said.

The Red Kettle Campaign will be a collaborative effort this year between Community Action and Ministry of Concern, Allport said.

“We are going reach out to schools, businesses and other agencies to compete with each other and make it fun,” Allport said. “We want to get youth and schools involved, including Scouts, sports teams and FFA clubs. We will urge schools to compete and make it fun by dressing in costumes or maybe singing as they man a kettle. COVID took a lot from everybody and we want to rebuild as much as we can.”

Allport and Ettinger stressed that all money donated in Orleans County stays in Orleans County. Monies are split between the two agencies to help their clients in need.

Volunteers are needed to man the kettles and can sign up online at Signupgenius.com and search for director@ministryofconcern.org or by calling Allport at (585) 589-9210.

Bell ringers can start at Tops on Nov. 6 until Dec. 24, or at Walmart on Nov. 15 to Dec. 24.

Anything purchased for someone needy will have a Red Kettle sticker affixed to it to let the recipient know the money came from donations to the Red Kettle Campaign.