Swift Current's Salvation Army is getting in the Christmas spirit as they launched their Christmas Kettle and Miracle Room campaigns over the weekend.

Both campaigns look to help the less fortunate during the giving season.

The first ever iconic Christmas Kettle fundraiser began in 1891, and is still raising money for the organization.

Christmas Kettles can be found in four locations across Swift Current, including at the Miracle Room in the Swift Current Mall.

Located at the Miracle Room is what the Salvation Army calls an Angel Tree, which holds pieces of paper with a child's Christmas present wish, giving the option for members of the public to purchase the requested item for them.

Items gathered for the Angel Tree will be handed out to families at the same time as Christmas Hampers.

Don Grad, a major with the Swift Current Salvation Army, said that this year’s kickoff was a little earlier than last year’s, to ensure that they would be able to fill all the requests on the Angel Tree.

"From the point we finish the applications to when we actually fill the hampers, there's a fair bit of organizing that needs to be done, and last year we found that we were a little tight on time, and we want to do the best job we can, so we just decided that we would work it this way to do the best we could."

Both programs officially began Saturday and Christmas Kettle campaign lasts until December 22, while donations of items to the Angel Tree will be accepted until December 12.

Grad said that some volunteers had benefited from Salvation Army programs in the past, and wanted to help out the organization.

"We have people who we help for two years in a row and have come back this year and said 'we're so excited that were kind of back on our feet, so we want to give back this year.'"

Grad said that this year’s fundraising goal was $220,000, which would go to supporting the food bank during Christmas and throughout the year.

He commented on the giving nature of Swift Current.

"I think [Swift Current] on a per-capita basis, is one of the most giving communities I have ever seen, or ever been involved in, or even heard about across Canada, and I think it's so exciting, but they also give to so many other agencies, and they are just supporting, it's community supporting community, and we're confident we'll reach our goal this year."

In the past, extra funding has gone to other amenities for the Swift Current Salvation Army, said Grad, including an industrial dishwasher.

Mayor Denis Perrault was in attendance to cut the ribbon for the Miracle Room along with City Councillor Ron Toles, and letters from Swift Current MLA Everett Hindley and Cypress Hills-Grasslands MP David Anderson were read prior to the ribbon cutting.