Helping Tulsa's non-profit agencies help others over the upcoming holidays

We're a week away from Thanksgiving and some Tulsa area non-profit agencies need help. They hope to have enough food to go around to families in need this holiday season. <br/><br/>And while many

Thursday, November 18th 2004, 9:50 am

By: News On 6

We're a week away from Thanksgiving and some Tulsa area non-profit agencies need help. They hope to have enough food to go around to families in need this holiday season.

And while many groups work to help families with their Thanksgiving feast, the Salvation Army hopes to reach its Christmas goal one dime at a time.

News on 6 anchor Craig Day says it's a sound almost as familiar each holiday season as White Christmas or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. The bells of the Salvation Army kettle ringers are here again for another season.

Major Marshall Gesner with the Salvation Army: "We hope people stop by where there are kettles and drop a little in or have their kids dropped a little in.â€ The Salvation Army will help more than 4,000 people this Christmas, with the money generated from about 50 kettles. â€œThose nickels and dimes and quarters and hopefully a few bucks add up."

But you won't find the kettles at Target stores, which are sites where the Salvation Army raised more than $20,000 last year. "They have always had a non solicitation policy, but they've made an exception for the army. But they decided they wouldn't make that exception anymore." Major Marshall Gesner hopes people with generous hearts help the Salvation Army to make up that loss elsewhere.

While the Salvation Army gets its Christmas Kettle drive underway, other non-profit groups are still working to fill the need this Thanksgiving.

The Salvation Army says it is in good shape for its annual Thanksgiving meal. But the ministerâ€™s alliance of Tulsa still needs turkeys for their Thanksgiving grocery baskets. W.R. Casey, Jr with the Christian Ministers Alliance: "It is so important because many houses you go in, there's no food. It's so important because the people are in need."

The group Loaves and Fishes says it is in good shape for its Thanksgiving meal, but could always use cash donations.

The John 3:16 mission really needs help this Thanksgiving. They desperately need turkeys and canned goods.