Amber Smith visited a Speedway on the South Side for a cup of coffee Tuesday morning. It was an indulgent move for her, but she decided to use her welfare-benefit card to pay for the drink.

Upon seeing the card, however, the cashier gave her the drink free of charge. That act of kindness saved her $1, and she used that, along with another dollar and 50 cents in change she found in her car, to pay forward the goodwill gesture.

Smith, who was born and raised on the South Side, cannot afford Christmas gifts for her children this holiday season, but she had no doubt where that $2.50 belonged: in a Salvation Army kettle.

“You never know when somebody could be on their last ... if they’re just not wanting to be around no more," Smith explained after donating outside the Kroger store in the Brewery District. "A smile or some money can change that."

A smile, some money being put in a red kettle and the jingling of bells are exactly what most people can expect to encounter while walking into local grocery stores at this time of year.

The Salvation Army's iconic kettle campaign operates at business entrances and on street corners at 80 Columbus locations this year, but the social-service organization's central Ohio chapter reports that the number of volunteer hours and the total amount raised during the weekslong push (Nov. 16 through Christmas Eve, except Sundays) has been decreasing while the number of people the chapter serves increases.

The chapter reported that it received a total of $362,856.47 in donations from the bell-ringing campaign in 2017, when 2,698 volunteer hours were recorded. This year, the chapter has raised $321,379.21 and recorded 1,603 volunteer hours.

The charity doesn’t track how many people volunteer during the holiday kettle campaign, which has been around since 1891. Instead, it tallies how many hours they give.

All told, the chapter reports it is more than $250,000 below its fundraising goal of $600,000 for the year. Historically, the charity has been able to raise close to that amount in the 10 days leading up to Christmas. However, with volunteer numbers down, Maj. Debra Ashcraft, the area coordinator, said she fears a potential deficit leading to major program cutbacks.

Compounding the problem, the organization is assisting more people year after year. The Dispatch reported on Tuesday that central Ohio's homeless rate is increasing, and Salvation Army statistics back that. In 2015, it served 109,000 people in Franklin, Delaware and Union counties. In 2017, it served 134,000.

Ashcraft said the charity's leadership can't quite figure out what's responsible for the decline in help but believes there's a clear correlation between the volunteer hours and money raised. The amount donated during kettle shifts is consistent with last year's, she said, but because fewer people are volunteering for shifts, there are fewer opportunities to accept donations.

Reports from New Hampshire, Texas and Pennsylvania show similar drop-offs. No statewide statistics are available for Ohio.

A typical response to ringers asking for donations is somebody saying they have no cash on them, said volunteer Rachel Ross of Columbus. It’s a valid excuse: The Pew Research Center recently reported that fewer people are using cash while more are using credit cards.

However, there are other options for donating during the campaign. Perhaps the problem comes from marketing, or perhaps from the kettle signs, which don't all have the information about giving online or texting a donation (text CENTRALOH to 71777 to receive a donation link).

Regardless, unless the charity meets its fundraising goal — the kettle campaign traditionally generates more than half of the total — it will have to cut programs, including ending after-school programs, career courses and music classes that are free for those in need. That's something Salvation Army officials "absolutely do not want to do," Ross said.

Amber Smith said she also hopes that doesn't happen. Even $2.50 can mean a lot to someone, she said, whether it provides a cup of coffee or a place to sleep.

"If you're blessed, give what you can."

scartwright@dispatch.com

@sumsumc13