BINGHAMTON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – You know we’ve entered the holiday season when you start to see red kettles and hear bells ringing.

The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign is underway.

You will find people ringing bells and taking donations outside of various stores, including Weis, Price Chopper, Sam’s Club and Walmart.

This year’s Binghamton campaign got started at the Mirabito at 33 South Washington Street.

The director of marketing at Mirabito, Marissa Sweeney says that staff members took turns manning the kettle outside the store on Friday.

She says that Mirabito employees were handing out coupons for a free 16-ounce coffee to anyone that donated.

Marketing Director at Mirabito Energy Products, Marissa Sweeney says, “We get a lot of traffic here at this location. It’s a great location, it’s really central, it’s trafficked through Binghamton and Vestal. So, we get a lot of flow traffic and a lot of people have been coming back. Even if they just have a dollar or a penny to donate, they do.”

The red kettle campaign raises funds for programs such as shelter and housing assistance, food distribution, and educational initiatives.

This year, Salvation Army implemented a digital donation option.
If you forgot cash, you can use the tap feature on your card, phone, or watch and make a donation of either $5, $10 or $20.

The Salvation Army is always looking for more people to ring the bells and collect donations.

If interested, contact Captain Joseph Hansen at 722-2987.