Interview: Salvation Army Regional Services Coordinator Samuel Reeder hopes this year's Red Kettle Campaign surpasses last year's efforts

LOWVILLE- We are nearing the peak of this holiday season and the Red Kettle Campaign has been going full force.

During last-year's efforts, Lewis County managed to collect over $25,000 in donations, all thanks to the generosity and kind heartedness from members of the community.

"We, last-year, provided over $25,000 in assistance to families across the county," said Salvation Army Regional Services Coordinator Samuel Reeder. "It was a real eye-popper!"  

All Red Kettle funds stay local to provide emergency relief to families in need, such as assistance with rent, medical expenses, furniture, utilities and food.  

With that being said, it's no secret that heating expenses across the North Country are sky-high and Mr. Reeder tells us this year's efforts will be mainly focused around providing relief for families struggling to pay their heating bills.

"We are going to be trying to focus through our contacts with DSS and Snowbelt Housing and some of our other partnering agencies," he iterated. "We would like to be able to focus on folks that do not qualify for some of the state and federal programs that may just be over income. They are going to need help because there's not going to be any assistance out there." 

The bell-ringing effort continues through Christmas and if you would like to sign-up to ring in Lewis County, be sure to click here for more details and slot availability.

Be sure to listen to our latest on-air segment with Samuel Reeder here:

Image via the Salvation Army.