MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- The Red Kettles may be gone from the storefronts, but the Salvation Army's Christmas Campaign continues until January 31.

The non-profit is at 98% of it's $2.7 million dollar goal for this year. The Christmas Campaign accounts for one third of the Salvation Army's yearly budget.

The money goes to programs like the Christmas Toy Shop, the Christmas Dinner, Feed the Kids lunches, Coats for Kids, and the Emergency Shelter.

Nola Crawford has benefitted from the Emergency Shelter.

"I had to walk away from all of my furniture and all my clothes. I turned my back on it and I didn't know what direction I was going in," said Crawford. Then someone told her about the Salvation Army.

Crawford called the organization and that afternoon she had somewhere to stay.

"It's a place that met all my needs, needs that I didn't know I had," said Crawford.

Every person has a health screening when they first enter the Emergency Shelter and doctors found a problem with Crawford's kidney. They put her on medication, which was the first step in Crawford getting her life back on track.

The next step was re-training. Crawford is 60 years old and says she still wants to work so she got certified as a Customer Call Center Specialist. Now, she's hoping that someone will hire her so she can be totally self-sufficient.

"I don't know what place I'd be in had it not been for the staff here. They took me to a place where no one in my life has helped me so much," said Crawford.

"It's possible to help people, like Nola, due to the generosity of the donors and community for Salvation Army," said Emergency Shelter Director Nancy Szudzik. "Without that it wouldn't happen."

She says there are 2,100 stays at the Emergency Shelter each year. The typical stay is about a month and it's open to almost everyone. While clients are there, they are given three meals a day, a social worker, access to job training, and help finding housing.

Major Roger Ross says request for service is already up 30% so meeting the $2.7 million dollar goal is even more important this year.

"We are really, really anxious to be able to reach our goal so we can do the work we've been called to do," said Major Ross.

Donations can be made via text or online. To help out, log onto www.SAmilwaukee.org.