The Salvation Army's red kettles and the bell ringers next to them will be out in full force on Black Friday as the organization kicks off its 2021 fundraising campaign.
"Every location that we can possibly man is covered today," said Greg Hartshorn, division commander with the Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania.
The Western PA Division's fundraising goal this year is $2.4 million, while its goal for Allegheny County is $569,000.
Hartshorn said the money goes toward helping families for Christmas and beyond.
"We're going to provide clothing, toys for the kids, food baskets for the families, but in reality, the money that's raised will also carry us well into 2022," he said."
The pandemic forced the Salvation Army to offer alternate ways for people to donate.
This year, people can donate online, through Apple Pay or Google Pay, by asking Amazon Alexa to 'donate to the Salvation Army,' or text "KETTLES" to 51555.