Without the Salvation Army's Kettle Campaign, Christmas may not happen for some less fortunate families in the region.
Salvation Army Captain Stephanie Watkinson in Chatham-Kent says donations help provide food and toy baskets as well as shelter and support.
"They're living paycheck to paycheck on a regular month and when you add Christmas expectations in of toys and family gatherings, it puts a lot of pressure of families," says Watkinson.
The Salvation Army asks that you donate what you can as red kettles begin to pop up around the region.
"There's a lot of people (who) donate and they may not think it's much because they may drop a toonie or a loonie in the bucket, but that all adds up," Watkinson says. "We do count of those little donations as well as larger donations to meet the goal."
This year they hope to raise $450,000 across Chatham-Kent, which would make up half of its annual budget.
