Tube City Almanac

December 09, 2006

Pony Up, You Cheapskates!

Category: default || By jt3y

Alert Reader Jeff sends along the following message:

McKeesport is the bottom of the kettle in Salvation Army collections. Yet another note of shame against Your Fair City. Here is the latest Divisional Red Kettle Report that just went out over the wire:

In many communities across The Salvation Army's 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division, the cold snap has had a warming affect on its Red Kettles. Although 16 of its Worship and Service Centers are behind last year's levels, the overall total income has increased. Currently the Divisional goal of more than 2.3 million dollars is $38,000 ahead and the $800,000 Allegheny County goal is $18,000 more than this time last year.

"We are cautiously optimistic," said Major Robert Reel, the Western Pennsylvania Salvation Army's Divisional Commander. "While the total goals are good news, I am still very concerned about our 16 locations that are behind." Salvation Army Red Kettle income stays within the communities in which it raised. "These locations that are in a deficit do not have the option of fundraising in other towns," said Reel. "That is why it is critical that the local residents get behind the kettles in their own neighborhoods."

Kettles that are behind include the following communities: Altoona; Braddock; Bradford; Butler; Clearfield; Corry; Ellwood City; Jeannette; Johnstown; Kittanning; McKeesport; New Castle; Pittsburgh's Northside, Downtown, and East Liberty; and Rochester.

Deficits range from a low of $298.26 in Clearfield to a high of $17,454.66 in McKeesport. Salvation Army Red Kettles account for roughly 10 percent to 20 percent of each local Worship and Service Center's budget.


"Note of shame," Jeff? Are we going to take this? Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Heck, no!

City firefighters are out this weekend along East Fifth Avenue collecting money for the Red Kettle Drive, so if you see them, spare some change. I'll bet if you stopped down at the Salvation Army chapel on Walnut Street at Ninth Avenue, they'd take a donation, too.

Better yet, go to the Sally Ann's website and donate online, or call (412) 394-4870 to find out how your family or organization can sponsor your own red kettle.

I've seen the Salvation Army do some really good work for people in trouble, including victims of fires and other disasters and people who are suffering temporary setbacks like unemployment. And although they are a religious organization, I've never heard of the Salvos refusing help to anyone (though, in fairness, they did have a bit of controversy a few years ago).

So unless you want a very angry tiger wielding a shovel at your front door this Christmas, pony up a couple of bucks. Don't make him come over there.

I mean, gee whiz, do you want Clearfield to beat us?

. . .

Moving Day: Kevin G. Barkes of the KGB Report announced this week that his kgb.com domain name has been sold for an undisclosed amount ... his website is moving to kgbreport.com.

I wish someone would make me a big offer for one of my domain names. (A few people have offered to give me money if I'd just go away.)

By the way: You can now reach the Tube City Almanac at two different addresses ... mckeesport.dementia.org/blog or tubecityonline.com/almanac. If one site is down, the other should be working.






Your Comments are Welcome!

The funny thing is, I wasn’t actually trying to sell it. I got a call from a broker who asked if I was interested. I said no. They said name a price. I gave them one that was more than double the appraised value. And they went for it.

Interesting enough, kgb dot com still points to my website. I also have no idea who actually bought it.
KGB (URL) - December 13, 2006



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