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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 16, 2004 Sorry, Santa Claus: Bell-ringers banned The Salvation Army’s red kettles and ringing bells won’t herald this holiday season at the Medford Target store, officials said Wednesday. A change in national policy by Target Corp. will eliminate the charity from the department stores here and across the country. "It is going to be true," said Kenny Farr, manager of the Medford store, who said he received a companywide memo about the change. That’s hardly cheery news to officials at the Salvation Army Medford Citadel, where Target has been the agency’s third most popular kettle collection site. Last year, contributions at Target racked up more than $8,000 of the $100,000 in total kettle income, said Development Director Carrie Hanson. Only the area’s two Fred Meyer stores bring in more kettle donations, she said. Advertisement "It’s just too bad," Hanson said. "They’ve been a wonderful community partner." National news reports indicate that Target Corp., which operates 1,272 stores in 47 states, decided earlier this year to end a longtime agreement that allowed the Salvation Army to solicit funds at its stores. "I understood they would no longer be able to justify allowing us in when they turn away thousands of other requests," Hanson said. Kettle collections make up a portion of the local Salvation Army’s $2 million annual budget. The Target collections in particular provided funds that paid for 356 bed nights at the agency’s transitional shelter, 1,069 hot meals and 822 food boxes for needy families, Hanson said. "The loss of income means the potential loss of services for people," she said. For information, contact the Salvation Army at 773-6965. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities