Grinch strikes San Francisco Salvation Army amid drop in donations
SAN FRANCISCO - As the Salvation Army gears up to spread the Christmas spirit, it was dealt a setback.
"I got a phone call early this morning. We got five bullet holes that are in our facility," said San Francisco Salvation Army Major Matthew Madsen. "One went through our entry door."
The door is now boarded up at the charity’s Bayview location on 3rd Street.
Across town, a burglar broke through the fence at the charity’s Central Kitchen on Harrison Street the same day, stealing a battery from a food delivery truck.
"Terrible timing," said Madsen. "The Grinch is at work."
While no one was hurt, and the battery is replaceable, it puts the team in a time crunch.
Featured
Rare gold coin worth thousands of dollars found in Napa Salvation Army kettle
A rare gold coin was discovered over the weekend in a Salvation Army Red Kettle in Napa, the organization announced.
They are shipping out over 4,000 meals for seniors this Christmas, prepared by students of the Salvation Army Culinary Training Academy, who are turning their lives around.
"They may have been incarcerated at one point," said Chef Timothy Tucker. "They may have been homeless at one point, and now they’re doing the 360 where they’re going back and helping other people."
The organization thrives on goodwill from donors who hear the bells ringing and drop cash into the red kettles, helping the organization recover from Monday’s crime.
"It’s just unfortunate that people would do something like that," said Penny Vardakastanis of San Francisco after donating to the red kettle at Union Square. "You see that it’s a cause to help the less fortunate, and then you are stealing from them or taking away from that?"
SEE ALSO: East Bay homeless shelter helps get lives back on track year-round
The charity reports a 30% decline in donations, despite a 10% increase in those asking for help while struggling with inflation.
"This is an opportunity to help make a Christmas miracle," said Madsen. "Be a holiday hero and get out there and help us out."
Salvation Army volunteers will be ringing bells and collecting monetary donations at red kettles in San Francisco through Tuesday afternoon.
Their goal is to raise $125,000 dollars across the Bay Area this holiday season.
They are also in need of volunteers to drive food to seniors on Christmas Day.
KTVU reached out to San Francisco police for details on a possible suspect.