The holiday spirit was alive and well in downtown Columbia as the community came together for the annual Columbia Christmas Parade Against Poverty.
This tradition contributes more than just festive cheer. It also achieved a significant boost in fundraising to support local families in need. The Salvation Army revived the parade in 2022 and is now using the tradition to raise money and awareness for struggling community members.
Columbia’s Salvation Army Community Relations Director, Sean Spence, says the parade has raised around $1000 more than last year, marking the highest total since the Salvation Army began organizing the event.
“That’s really the goal of ours: To have it grow several hundred or maybe a thousand dollars more than the previous year and we are doing that,” Spence said.
The money raised goes directly to the Salvation Army’s mission of addressing poverty and to their Harbor House, the only homeless shelter …