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Local Organizations In Desperate Need Of Donations, Volunteers To Help Local Families

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDA)- As the Christmas holiday quickly approaches, some local organizations are in dire need of donations to help families in need.

The Salvation Army of Western Pennsylvania told KDKA that they are down $90,000 in red kettle donations compared to last year.

"We are also seeing a lot of people doing online shopping rather than going to retail box stores. So we are seeing less traffic at our retail locations," said Ava Henderson with The Salvation Army.

With one less week to fundraise due to a late Thanksgiving holiday, the nonprofit is turning to the public for help.

"We are in a big need for volunteers. If you want to grab a family member or friend and bell ring for us, just know every little thing helps. If you have a business, you could put a kettle outside your business if you have high traffic," Henderson said.

The Salvation Army isn't the only local nonprofit asking for help this holiday season.

Sharon Klaiber runs the Southwest Butler County Food Cupboard and right before the December distribution, she lost 28 turkeys and hundreds of pounds of meat.

"The freezer had stopped working and the temperature rose inside the freezer to 68 degrees," Klaiber said.

As the pantry's freezer sits empty, the cupboard is also turning to the community with less time to make up for the loss.

"We are gearing up to provide for 100 households. All in total, that's 280 to 300 individuals," Klaiber said.

The food pantry's distribution is set for Nov. 17, and they are asking for any protein or meat donations to replace what they lost in the freezer or a monetary donation so they can purchase the protein.

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