About 350 families were blessed with toys and clothes for Christmas this week during the Albert Lea Salvation Army’s Christmas distribution for families in need.

Overall, 738 children received gifts, a number which is up from last year, said Kathy Quinn, one volunteer.

In addition to the toys and clothes, about 425 food baskets were given away.

Mothers or fathers who signed up for the assistance met at the old Buy-N-Save building on Broadway Avenue, where they waited to walk through the toy room — filled with hundreds of toys — to pick out a few for their families.

The toys were sorted out by age group.

“Everybody has been so thankful,” Quinn said. “They’re having a lot of fun shopping for the kids. They’re extremely happy.”

She said she was volunteering as part of a Freeborn County area home-schooling group. The kids in the group helped to separate the gifts, and then some of the moms have helped to guide the parents through the room.

“We’ve been given so much,” Quinn said. “I’ve used it as a teaching tool for my kids to give back to the community.”

People may not look like they’re hurting when they are, she said.

Others from Albert Lea Medical Center, Alliant Energy and others throughout the community were also volunteering.

“Thank you community,” she said. “We can’t do this without your help.”

Albert Lea Salvation Army Capt. Jim Brickson the distribution went well, even with the snow.

He said there was quite an increase of people coming through for the first time, but he’s not sure why yet.

After the parents picked up their toys, they were guided to pick up a food basket, which included items like bread, stuffing, ice cream, and a chicken, turkey or goose, among other items.

The good works came during the middle of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, which this year has been set up to raise $134,000.

With the campaign coming to a close in less than a week, Brickson said the organization is still about $14,000 away from reaching its kettle goal, which is $52,000 out of the total goal.

What’s hurting the kettle goal, he said, is not having enough ringers at each of the bell-ringing locations. When there’s not people standing at the different locations, people are less likely to donate.

For example, during one recent day at Wal-Mart, only 22 cents was raised because no one was manning the bells.

“We have two needs — one to put more money in the kettle and one to bell-ring,” Brickson said. “They’re equally as important as another.”

If people don’t stand at the kettle ringing the bell, then people won’t donate, he said. The process works in a circle.

While it is disheartening to be short of the goal, Brickson said he and his wife aren’t “excited that we’re this far behind.”

“I believe we’ll be able to do the best we can with what we have,” he said. “But that doesn’t equate to cutting programs. It’s just going to mean doing things a little differently.”

Funds raised through the campaign at the various locations around town help the Salvation Army with a myriad of assistance programs for the community, including after-school and summer day-care programs for low-income families, temporary shelter, rental and fuel assistance, a food pantry and budget counseling to help families achieve economic independence.

To donate to the Salvation Army or to become a bell ringer call 373-5710.