Salvation Army Fund Raising Starts Early

Salvation Army soldier Mamie Smith made an unseasonable picture under the smoggy skies of July as she sat beside her red kettle, ringing a bell, soliciting donations and puzzling more than a few passersby.

“My God, Christmas is coming and I haven’t even started,” was a typical remark Smith heard from people walking by her station outside the post office this week.

No, Santa isn’t coming in July, but the Salvation Army, which runs its major fund solicitations at Christmastime, is staging an emergency fund drive in Pomona to offset an expected loss in income from the United Way.

Capt. Lou Diaz, commanding officer of the Pomona corps of the Salvation Army, said the Mt. Baldy Region of United Way failed to achieve its fund-raising goals, forcing cuts in allocations to its agencies. Instead of an anticipated $68,000, the Salvation Army expects to get only $56,000 this year, he said.

But United Way officials said the cuts may not be that deep. Carol Baker, vice president of the Mt. Baldy region of United Way, said the final decision on allocations will be made by the United Way board today.

She said the recession has trimmed donations, reducing by 17% the money available to the Mt. Baldy region, which ranges from Kellogg Hill east to Fontana. Baker said United Way volunteers have reviewed the 40 agencies serving the region and have recommended cuts based on performance. By redirecting funds set aside for special programs, Baker said, the recommendation would limit the cuts to agencies to as little as 3% to 7%.

But Baker said she cannot disclose the recommended total for the Salvation Army or any other agency until after the United Way board acts.

Anticipating the worst, Diaz said he would like to raise $12,000 in two weeks. “That’s not realistic at all,” Diaz conceded, “but we’re hopeful.”

The money is needed to subsidize the day-care program for preschool children offered at the Salvation Army’s center on La Verne Avenue in Pomona. The program is serving 47 children this summer and has an enrollment of 77 for this fall. Diaz said private day-care programs in the area charge an average of $80 to $85 a week. The Salvation Army charges $57.

Diaz said his organization serves parents who cannot afford to pay much more than that. “We can’t raise the rates even $5. That would hurt the families too much,” he said.

So the alternative is to solicit donations by setting up Salvation Army kettles at shopping centers and other sidewalk locations.

Smith, 63, who has been in the Salvation Army for 29 years, said she expected donations for the emergency drive, which began Monday, to be low at first and they have been. “The first day you never do good,” she said. But, she said, persistence always pays off, noting that people will see her at the same spot day after day and finally decide to reward the effort with contributions.

The Salvation Army has put out collection signs that say: “Emergency. Your help is needed now.”

Smith said a number of passersby ask why funds are being solicited. “We’re having a real hard time making ends meet,” she tells them. “And that’s the truth.”