Fine. Here's the article. In full, with a link:
http://www.wtopnews.com/?sid=336231&nid=25
WASHINGTON - You won't see Salvation Army bell ringers outside Target stores this holiday season.
"We are grateful for what they have allowed us to do," says Major Todd Smith, chief operating officer for the Salvation Army in the D.C. area. "It's disappointing for this year."
Salvation Army uses the donations to provide toys for needy children, holiday meals for families and clothing and shelter for the homeless.
Nationwide, the Salvation Army estimates the decision by the nation's No. 2 retailer not to allow the red kettles outside stores will mean the loss of several million dollars, Smith says. In 2002, Red Kettle donations totaled almost $90 million nationwide.
"Frankly, I can't say that we're going to make up anything that the Salvation Army made outside our stores," Target spokeswoman Carolyn Brookter tells WTOP.
Last year in the D.C. metro area the Salvation Army raised $63,000 outside of Target stores. That figure jumps to $319,000 if you add in all of Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland.
"Just imagine the amount of toys, the amount of Christmas dinners you can put together for $63,000. We won't have that this year," Smith says.
In the Washington area, about 12,000 children will receive toys from the Salvation Army this Christmas.
Target, which made an exception to its long standing no-solicitation policy outside its stores for the Salvation Army, decided to make the policy consistent, Brookter says.
"In the last several years we've an increasing number of requests from groups around the country to solicit guests outside our stores," Brookter says. "To be fair to all groups, we can't have any outside our stores."
Target notified the Salvation Army of its decision in January.
"No other non-profit depends on Target to make their budget or to their goal .... They have to find another way to fund-raise," Brookter says.
"Our relationship with the Salvation Army has not come to an end. What we are looking for is a different partnership," she says.
Brookter tells WTOP Target will contribute to the Salvation Army by donating merchandise it doesn't sell. Brookter also says some employees spend time volunteering for Salvation Army-related charities.
The retailer also donates $2 million to charities nationwide, including the Salvation Army.
As the Salvation Army loses its bell ringers at Target, the crafts store Michaels agreed to allow them. And, Circuit City is starting a pilot program in Richmond, Va.
The Salvation Army hopes to raise $900,000 for the D.C. area this year.
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Notes of interest from the article:
"Target notified the Salvation Army of its decision in January. "
They had since january to prepare for this. It looks like they screwed up and didn't find replacement locations. Now there is an effort underway to make target look like a bad company for the SA's screwup.
And also:
"Our relationship with the Salvation Army has not come to an end. What we are looking for is a different partnership," she says.
Brookter tells WTOP Target will contribute to the Salvation Army by donating merchandise it doesn't sell. Brookter also says some employees spend time volunteering for Salvation Army-related charities.
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Big, bad evil target. How dare they continue to donate and work with the salvation army in a way a small group of freepers don't approve of. It's time to boycott them!
Target has no right to take credit for what employees do on their own time. How big of them.