LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The bells have been ringing and the red kettles have been shining outside stores since the day after Thanksgiving.
But this year that meant the window for giving was almost a week and a half shorter than most years and donations are way down, jeopardizing important programs.
Leslee Rogers is the donor and public relations director for the Salvation Army of Southern Nevada.
"So, unless we get some wonderful benevolent people and there are a lot of those in this town," Roger said. “Unless someone wants to drop a 20, or 30 or 40 thousand dollar check in the kettle tomorrow we probably will come up quite a bit short."
The goal was $330,000 this year. Rogers says they're only at $255,000 so far. All of the Salvation Army's work in Las Vegas is paid for through donations raised in Southern Nevada. And without that money programs could see cuts or not happen at all; like those that feed and house thousands of the homeless in our community.
"Those numbers will dwindle, and we won’t be able to keep shelter open all year round,” she said. “And of course, right now with the impetus from the city to get people off the streets and into shelters, it’s imperative that we be able to house as many as possible.”
Despite Americans doing a record-breaking amount of shopping on the last weekend before Christmas, according to the National Retail Federation, other charities like Toys for Tots have also seen declines in giving.
Rogers believes shoppers giving behavior could also have been affected by having fewer days to shop.
"They're kind of in a frenzy because they don’t have as much time. And they either overlook us or they are just in too much of a hurry to stop."
