Northern Light Expands Its Financial Support of Massachusetts Salvation Army’s 2020 Holiday Season Initiatives
As community needs increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, Boston-based Northern Light donates to Thanksgiving food distributions and Christmas Castle
BOSTON, Nov. 25, 2020 — Boston-based Northern Light (www.northernlight.com), a long-time corporate sponsor of The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division’s Thanksgiving food distribution program, this year is expanding its holiday season support to include a major donation for the purchase of 1,650 winter coats to be given to local families in need at The Salvation Army’s Christmas Castle.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year the need is greater than ever for those served by The Salvation Army. With fewer Red Kettles in Massachusetts communities this holiday season, The Salvation Army is projecting that donations to its iconic kettle will be down by more than 50%, while needs for assistance will be up by 155% or more statewide.
Northern Light made a contribution of $50,000 to The Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving food box distribution, which provided meals to more than 2,000 Boston families. The boxes include a turkey and all the trimmings and side dishes. If the average family dinner on Thanksgiving Day has five family members, Northern Light helped provide for over 10,000 meals on Thanksgiving Day.
Additionally, Northern Light made a matching challenge contribution to the Christmas Castle that The Salvation Army expects will fully fund that program, once all matching funds are secured. Families who qualify for Christmas Castle assistance will receive gift cards for Christmas dinner, winter coats for children, and toys for each child in the household. Distribution will be held December 14 – December 17, 2020 at The Salvation Army’s Boston Kroc Center.
“This year of all years it is time to step up and be counted,” said C. David Seuss, Northern Light’s CEO. “There is nothing more difficult than to be without at a time when everyone else is celebrating their blessings. A great celebratory dinner with one’s family and friends and a new warm coat for family members transforms the holiday experience of thousands of Bostonians. Northern Light is proud to be able to help and we continue to admire The Salvation Army for its dedication to serving the needs of others.”
“For many individuals, providing basic necessities such as food and clothing for their families during the holiday season, and throughout the entire year, is a struggle,” said Carlisa Brown, Divisional Director of Advancement, The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division. “The pandemic continues to be a real hardship for many individuals and families living in poverty. Across the entire state, The Salvation Army continues to see an increase in need due to increasing unemployment and COVID-19’s financial impact. That’s why we’re so grateful that the generous people at Northern Light continue to support our work.”
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit SalvationArmyMA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyMA and #DoingTheMostGood.
About Northern Light
Northern Light has been providing knowledge management platforms for competitive intelligence and market research insights to global enterprises since 1996. Its SinglePoint™ enterprise knowledge management platform received the KMWorld 2020 Readers’ Choice award for best content management services, and was honored as one of KMWorld‘s Trend-Setting Products of 2019. Northern Light’s current clients include Fortune 1000 leaders across multiple industries such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and life sciences. Northern Light has over 250,000 users of its strategic research portals. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Northern Light is a charter member of the Center for Complex Systems and Enterprises at the Stevens Institute of Technology.