The Salvation Army’s red kettles are back for another holiday season, equipped with Venmo and PayPal for the first time this year in addition to other contactless options to donate while passing by bell ringers.

       The kettles began appearing around Chicago and surrounding suburbs Monday and will continue to pop up at Jewel-Osco and Hobby Lobby stores throughout the week, kicking off this year’s Salvation Army holiday campaign. Capt. Xavier Montenegro, divisional secretary for program at the Salvation Army, said this year’s campaign theme is “Hope Marches On.”

       Natalie Sepulveda, 9, makes a donation in a Salvation Army red kettle outside a Jewel-Osco store in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on Nov. 8, 2021. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

       Red Kettles are also set to be placed outside Walmart stores on Nov. 20 and Walgreens and Macy’s locations in the area on Nov. 26.

       For the first time this year, the kettles will be equipped with Venmo and PayPal. Donors are encouraged to take advantage of these contactless options to give in addition to Apple Pay and Google Pay already in place to keep themselves and volunteers safe. Volunteers also will be following guidelines similar to last year, like wearing face masks and social distancing.

       For those who want to make a difference while staying indoors, Montenegro said people can contribute to Salvation Army’s Virtual Red Kettle, which has raised nearly 65% of its current $100,000 goal.

       About 70% of the Salvation Army’s donations for any given year are collected during the holidays.

       In addition to emergency financial assistance, requests of which have increased significantly in the past 18 months, the money raised from the kettles will fund some 50 social service programs, such as food pantries, after-school programs and homeless shelters.

       “The Salvation Army remains committed to assisting everyone who comes through our doors,” Lt. Col. Lonneal Richardson, divisional commander of the Salvation Army’s metropolitan division, said in a statement. “But, we can only do it with the generosity of the community. Your donation to the Red Kettles could mean the difference between a family being able to cover the rent, keep the lights and heat on and stay in their homes. We need your help to ensure hope marches on for those in need this year.”

       Montenegro said last year’s campaign was successful primarily due to people making use of the digital options to donate, even though there may not have been as many people out shopping and passing by the kettles. Last year’s holiday campaign, “Rescue Christmas,” began earlier than ever before, in September, Montenegro said, because the Salvation Army saw about a fivefold increase in people needing help due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

       “There’s so many generous people in Chicagoland,” Montenegro said. “It’s incredible to see. Last year, we started our campaign early because we saw the great need, and people stepped up. This year, there’s still a great need, so I just anticipate that generosity to continue.”

       As prosecution winds down its case, will Kyle Rittenhouse take the stand in his own defense?

       22m

       Salvation Army’s red kettles return for the season equipped with Venmo, PayPal donation options for the 1st time

       44m

       Chicago Bears A wild 4th quarter and a remarkable rally by Justin Fields — but ultimately another loss. Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts after the Chicago Bears fell 29-27 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

       4h

       Breaking News ‘It’s so frustrating:’ Xfinity users face aggravation as internet outage affects Chicago area, multiple states

       45m

       Coronavirus Scientists fight a new source of vaccine misinformation: Aaron Rodgers

       4h