Rochester Salvation Army announces it has exceeded Christmas Campaign Goal

By KAALTV

(ABC 6 News) — The Salvation Army announced Monday morning that it has exceeded the Christmas Campaign Goal of $1.1 Million with a campaign total of $1,180,718.

A press release from the Salvation Army states volunteers rang bells for 3131 hours in the six weeks before Christmas while Mayo Clinic and Think Bank combined to raise over $220,000.

From 2023 to the end of 2024, The Salvation Army here in Rochester has seen the following increases in program numbers: a 54% increase in households provided with rent or utility assistance, a 37% increase in the number of households visiting their downtown food shelf, nearly twice the number of new patients visiting the Good Samaritan Medical Clinic, nearly 300 more new patients visiting the Good Samaritan Dental Clinic, and an increase from 22,700 to 27,441 meals served in a year.

“This year has been unprecedented in that we’ve seen increases in the number of people coming to us for help consistently across every single program we offer,” said Major Cornell Voeller, Corps Officer for Business at The Salvation Army in Rochester, MN, via a press release. “To know that the members of this community recognize the needs of their neighbors, and rises to meet those needs is so very moving. Our team is truly humbled by the generosity of this community, and we don’t take that trust in our mission or work lightly. We cannot say thank you enough.”

For more information about The Salvation Army mission and programs in Olmsted County, MN, visit rochestersa.org.