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Woman fills void after thief steals Salvation Army kettle

MATTHEWS, N.C. — Kim Jones says seeing on Channel 9 that someone stole a Salvation Army kettle from the Harris Teeter supermarket in Matthews last weekend left her full of emotions.

“Then I was hurt that there are a lot of people, because the kettle was stolen, may not get the help they need,” Jones said.

The thief's bad behavior inspired Jones to replace the stolen money with a $200 donation.

“I was very pleased we still have that kind of caring spirit here in Charlotte,” Larry Broome, Charlotte Salvation Army commander, said.

Broome said the Salvation Army Red Kettle drive has been raising money to help the needy in Charlotte for 104 years but with people less likely to carry cash, donations have dropped drastically.

“We're down about 12 percent this year on our kettle income,” Broome said. “That's about $27,000.”

Jones hopes her charitable gift motivates other people to do the same when they see the red kettles and hear the sound of Salvation Army bells.

“Even if you have a dollar, just a dollar, it will mean so much because dollars add up,” Jones said.

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