COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Salvation Army is gearing up for its biggest fundraiser of the year to help struggling families.
The annual “Need Knows No Season” fundraiser is on Thursday. This year, requests for help are up by about 50%, according to the Salvation Army, due in large part to inflation.
Donations to the Salvation Army help people like Jennifer Collins with things like rent assistance, access to food and utility assistance.
Collins is a single mother of two. She was down on her luck for a while but is now back on her feet because of the assistance she received from the Salvation Army.
“I would have had an eviction. And my electric was off for, you know, a month and thank God like they, they helped me, it would have been off way longer,” Collins said.
“This time last year, we served about 385 families. Now we're up to 793 at the same time,” Major Tricia Brennan said. She’s the area coordinator for the Central Ohio Salvation Army.
Collins knows how hard it is for some people to admit they need help and ask for it.
“I would tell them just do it. Just put their pride aside and just go do what they will help. And they're there for you,” Collins said.
She also wants to thank the strangers who have donated in the past.
“Thank you so much for me, for everything they've done, for me and my family, and every other family out there,” Collins said.
If you want to take part in the 16th annual “Need Knows No Season” luncheon on Thursday, you can purchase tickets or donate directly to the Salvation Army.
If you need help, you can contact Salvation Army here.