Norwich — Online and text donations and now Apple Pay and Google Pay are becoming staple parts of the annual Salvation Army Red Kettle fund drive nationwide, but Norwich Salvation Army Officer Lt. Cheryl McCollum said many people still like the personal touch.

The annual holiday Red Kettle drive, with volunteers and hired staff ringing bells outside local Stop & Shop and Walmart supermarkets, starts Friday morning for the Norwich Salvation Army, which serves Norwich, Preston and Griswold.

As America is moving toward a cashless and increasingly electronic era, the Salvation Army of Connecticut announced last week that donors will have the option at this year’s kettles to donate using Apple Pay or Google Pay using their smartphones. The Salvation Army has placed smart chips and QR codes on Red Kettle signs across the country, allowing shoppers to “bump” or scan their phones to make a digital donation.

When they do, shoppers will be directed to a custom donation page that accepts Apple or Google payment options. The funds will then be distributed to local Salvation Army units based on the donor’s billing ZIP code, and an email receipt will be sent directly to their phone.

McCollum said the kettles are still real and will accept cash donations as well.

“Sometimes, people don’t mind putting the cash in the kettle,” McCollum said.

And that gives both donors and kettle staff a more personal connection with each other. McCollum hangs a poster board at the Norwich Salvation Army headquarters at 169 Franklin St. to keep track of collections in a good-natured contest that includes surprise prizes for leading collectors.

“When it’s cold out, I’m running around with hot chocolate for the kettle crews,” she said. “I load them up with snacks.”

The Norwich drive, the agency's biggest fundraiser of the year, will run from Friday morning through Dec. 24. McCollum is a bit concerned this year, because with Thanksgiving being later, the drive has five fewer days to collect donations to fund its ongoing services and programs through the year. 

This year's goal is $45,000. Last year, McCollum said the drive fell $1,200 short of the goal, so she’s hoping for a good response from the public this holiday season.

The drive is staffed with a mixture of volunteers and paid staff. Volunteers are still needed for the Monday and Tuesday shifts. Any individuals, civic groups or businesses interested in donating time should contact the Norwich Salvation Army at (860) 889-2329. Paid shifts at $11 an hour for 20 hours per week also are still available.

The Norwich Salvation Army also is seeking individual, group or business sponsors for families in need for the holiday season. To adopt a family, call the Salvation Army.

Norwich Salvation Army kettles will be located at the Norwich, Montville and Colchester Stop & Shop stores and at the Norwich and Lisbon Walmart stores, with the Lisbon drive shared with the Salvation Army Service Unit that provides services to small towns not assigned to a specific agency office, McCollum said.

Now in its 129th year, The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign is one of the oldest and largest charitable campaigns in the world, the Connecticut Salvation Army press release stated. Donations are accepted at more than 25,000 traditional Red Kettles found on street corners and in front of stores.

Online donations are accepted at www.Give.SalvationArmyUSA.org, and to donate by phone, text KETTLE to 91999.

c.bessette@theday.com