The SA is plenty other places instead of Target this year. In my area they are at Wal-Mart and Kroger grocery stores in central Ohio. Be generous when you see them, or just send them a check if you don't see them.
I also got information as to how to volunteer to be a bellringer.
I went to Kmart earlier to drop off film and on the way out I gave the SA lady outside some money.
I really love the Salvation Army.
I refuse to buy at Target this year.
Subject: The Salvation Army
Dear XXXX,
Like many nationwide retailers, Target Corporation has a long-standing "no solicitation" policy that it consistently applies to all organizations across all of its stores.
We receive an increasing number of solicitation inquiries from non-profit organizations and other groups each year and determined that if we continue to allow the Salvation Army to solicit then it opens the door to any other groups that wish to solicit our guests. While some of our guests may welcome the opportunity to support their favorite charity or cause, allowing these organizations to solicit means that Target would also have to permit solicitation by organizations whose cause or behavior may be unacceptable to our guests.
We notified the Salvation Army of our decision in January 2004, well in advance of the holiday season, so the organization would have time to find alternative fundraising sources. Target also asked the Salvation Army to look at other ways that we could support their organization under our corporate giving guidelines. To this date they have not provided a proposal that fits those guidelines.
Local Salvation Army chapters can apply for grants through their local Target stores. For decades, many non-profit organizations across the country have successfully worked with Target in this manner. We are asking the Salvation Army to work with us in the same exact manner as the other groups and organizations who ask to solicit our guests.
This decision in noway diminishes Target Corporation's commitment to its communities. Target has one of the largest corporate philanthropy programs in America, donating more than $2 million per week and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours each year to the communities in which it does business.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Hanson
Target Executive Offices