Salvation Army disappointed with theft from the poor

The Salvation Army has been forced to step up measures to secure the apparatus used in the annual Kettle Appeal after one was stolen in Kingstown recently.

CCTV footage posted to social media showed a woman stealing the kettle which was stationed at the entrance to Coreas City Store on the corner of Halifax Street and Hillsboro Street. In the video, the woman is seen lurking by the unsupervised kettle. After a few moments, the woman sits in the chair next to the kettle while searching in her backpack. She removes a knife and, after surveying the area, cuts the kettle from the string. She puts the knife back in the bag, retrieves the kettle from the ground and then walks off.

Captain of the Salvation Army, Wilkings Buissereth told SEARCHLIGHT this is the first time that someone has stolen money from the organization and it is disheartening that persons would be so callous as to take money used to assist poor and disadvantaged people.

“This is the first time. Nothing like this has ever happened to the Salvation Army in St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

“I never expected that because the fund-raising we are doing every year, we use this money to help the people who are in need. We need this money also for our feeding program where we feed more than 100 people – school children, people from the street and to support the children’s home. I never put in my mind that something like that can happen.”

He explained that the volunteer responsible for manning the stolen kettle had stepped away to use the bathroom and the woman had capitalized on this opportunity.

Since last Thursday’s theft incident, Captain Buissereth say he met with the volunteers and has also installed chains and padlocks on each kettle pot.

“I had a meeting with them (volunteers) and let them know what to do. I secured all the pots with chains and put a padlock in them. Nobody can cut it to go with them any more.”

A Barrouallie woman was arrested and charged with theft on Friday, November 24, one day after the incident.

The Captain said there is no way to ascertain the exact amount of money the woman made off with as the donations are only counted at the end of the day when the pots are cleared.

He added while losing the money is disappointing, he is more worried about losing the kettles as they are expensive and can only be sourced from abroad.

“What I am not supposed to lose is the kettle pot. Those kettle pots I cannot get from the Caribbean, they are ordered from America. One cost $92.50 [USD].”

The Kettle Appeal closes on December 24 after which the Salvation Army will host its annual Christmas luncheon geared toward feeding up 150 homeless and less-fortunate persons.

This year’s target has doubled from last year and has been set at EC$200,000.