Photo provided to the Times Observer Pat Williams and Ed Kelly with the Warren Council of the Knights of Columbus rang bells as part of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign on Dec. 16 at the North Warren Northwest Bank branch.

Online shopping is bound to have an impact on the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.

But local organizers are hopeful that the 2022 goal is going to be met.

“We have to raise just $4,600 to make our $70,000 goal,” Salvation Army Capt. Dorothy Budd said. “(We are) praying that we will reach it.”:

She said that the Salvation Army as of Thursday was also able to help 399 children “because of our wonderful community.”

All of the proceeds from the Red Kettle Campaign stay local to allow the Salvation Army to meet local needs in the community.

But the campaign has taken a bunch of volunteers willing to stand in the cold, rain and snow to ring the bells.

That has included a group of men named “Gary” and, last week, the Warren Council of the Knights of Columbus among many others.

The campaign dates to 1891 when a Salvation Army captain didn’t know what to do about those going hungry in San Francisco, according to the Salvation Army. His answer to fund a meal for 1,000 was placing a large iron kettle at a ferry landing.

By 1901, the idea had spread across the country as an effort to fund 150,000 meals for those in need. The effort also spread internationally from there.

Now the campaign benefits over 4.5 million individuals each year.