Posted on 12/02/2004 8:07:01 AM PST by SmithL
The Salvation Army has received an outpouring of support after reports that two major department store chains -- Target and Mervyn's -- had banned the charity's holiday bell ringers from collecting donations in front of their stores, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
The Salvation Army's office in San Francisco received scores of calls from people who said they were shocked by the chains' decision to boot the little red kettles off their property after years of permitting the collections. Some callers said they were writing letters to the corporations; others promised to boycott the stores.
"People are saying they are saddened that the stores won't let the bell ringers be there,'' said Jennifer Byrd, the Salvation Army spokeswoman for the area from the Bay Area to Bakersfield. "People are really coming out to tell us stories about how important the Salvation Army is."
A spokeswoman for Target said its no-solicitation policy would remain in force. Representatives for Mervyn's did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Target and Mervyn's have banned the kettle collectors altogether. Safeway has cut back the number of days that Salvation Army collectors can stand in front of its supermarkets this holiday season.
That means the loss of big money. Donations to the kettle pots, a tradition that started in San Francisco in 1891 with a crab pot at the foot of Market Street, accounted for $93 million nationwide last year.
In response to the ban by Target and Mervyn's, other retailers have called to offer their storefront locations to the kettle ringers.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
It's my personal experience that those finding the bell ringers "annoying" are actually projecting their guilt from never giving to them. I don't know why it's so difficult to just pass by the kettle and bellringer with a cordial greeting if you don't care to give.
That's okay, because you brightened my day! I appreciated the link, although my community is not listed there. But I plan to contact the Salvation Army and volunteer my services this year. Good for you getting your daughter involved!
Give directly to the Salvation Army.
Does Chicken Little Sen. Dayton (D Minn) still have any ties to Dayton-Hudson? I know that they are part of his family history but I'm not sure if there is any current relationship with the leftest wacko.
Since this is a long-standing Target policy, why was the Salvation Army allowed there in the first place? It's one thing to never allow any groups on the property in the first place. It's another thing completely to kick a charity off your property - especially a charity so closely linked with the Christmas season.
"It's my personal experience that those finding the bell ringers "annoying" are actually projecting their guilt from never giving to them."
Ahh, now I see it. They're selling "guilt relief." It's a valuable service!
Oh, and just to be clear, although I've never given money to the salvation army, I have donate goods to them dozens of times over the years. But I want to go to them, not have them pushed on me.
I don't know how long the policy has been in effect but I do know that I read on a FR post a few days ago that the policy affected all solicitors.
The way I understood it was that Target could, legally, allow no solicitors or all solicitors but not pick and choose.
Sure, I think it's unfortunate but a boycott? Too much for me. I'm not going to try to hurt a company's business because they had to make a tough call.
Awwww, poor baby! Yes, I can't count the number of times I've been tackled and even had my wallet stolen from me by those annoying bell ringers.
Why buy anything at Best Buy?
Target Corporation’s Position on Solicitation at Stores
Target Corporation has a long-standing “no solicitation” policy at all of our stores. Like many nationwide retailers, Target Corporation implemented this policy in order to be consistent with all the groups that request access to our stores and to provide our guests with a comfortable, distraction-free shopping environment.
Therefore, Target Corporation restricts the use of its parking lots and facilities to only business use. Target does not permit individuals (including political candidates and/or their campaign organizations) or nonprofit organizations to solicit donations, distribute literature, sell merchandise or hold events on our premises.
Target has received attention for applying this policy to all groups, including the Salvation Army. We receive an increasing number of solicitation inquiries from nonprofit organizations and 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 causes or behavior may be unacceptable to our guests. Target notified the Salvation Army of this decision in January 2004, well in advance of the holiday season, so that the organization would have time to find alternative fundraising sources. Target also asked the Salvation Army to look for other ways we could support their organization under our corporate giving guidelines. At this date, they have not provided a proposal that fits those guidelines.
Our company has many other means by which it supports organizations whose charitable programs fall within our corporate giving guidelines. Nonprofit organizations, including local Salvation Army chapters, can apply for grants through their local Target stores. For decades, nonprofit 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 manner as every other organization and group who asks to solicit our guests. For more information on these guidelines, please pick up the Community Giving brochure in your store’s Guest Service area, or visit the Community Giving section of Target.com.
Target Corporation provides generous support to communities in many ways, donating more than $2 million each week to neighborhoods, programs and schools across the country. Nationwide, our team members volunteer hundreds of thousands of hours to nonprofit organizations. Target Corporation is committed to giving back to the communities in which we do business.
-------------
Target is free to make its own choices, as are we consumers. I've made mine.
Salvation Army? Who pushed - or was that just you?
Don't shove those guys. They're just there to collect for the needy.
Not going to. Interesting how some of these corps are showing thier true colors. It would be interesting to see how many support the Evil Dums, and their socialist utopia ideas. but, when it comes to Americans choosing how to donate, they want to stop that.
I wrote Target already and I am kicking myself for not keeping their reply. I was very upset and convinced that I will boycott them but once I read their reply, it made sense. It is not their fault but reality is that a lot of other charities have requested permission to solicit at their doors thus allowing everyone would have created one big mess. For them to only allow Salvation Army and not any other charity would have been a major liability so they decided not to allow any charitable solicitation on their premises, period. HOWEVER, they encouraged Salvation Army to apply for grants with Target at local levels and they awarded the grants depending on each community needs. I do consider this a just attempt to fix the situation which nobody wanted so Target has gotten back my patronage.
Not shopping Target this year. Don't have a Mervyns around here as far as I know.
It was printed in the Chicago Tribune. . .how do you even know it was an accurate quote?
I've heard that is the excuse, but other stores don't seem to be having a problem with this. I'm not buying Target's attempt at justification.
Mervyn's is a department store. They are in the Bay Area, and I don't know where else. They are similar to Kohl's.
Like most papers, the Trib prints corrections.
She also stated that WalMart had cut the kettle time from four weeks to two weeks this year.
Leni
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.