“What’s in your wallet?” asks the familiar commercial.

The Salvation Army wants to know, too. The organization that helps 33 million Americans each year says there is a bundle in unused gift card balances that it can be converted to cash to help others this Christmas.

“What happened to that $1.78 left on your department store gift card?” The Salvation Army’s Web site asks. “Now you can donate those partially used gift cards to The Salvation Army and help us do the most good. The funds are right there in your wallet, purse or dresser drawer.”

More than $100 billion is expected to be spent on gift cards this year. Often, a purchase is made that leaves a balance of about 10 percent of the value of a card — $10 billion the organization could put to use to help families struggling in the slumping economy.

The individual amounts seem insignificant, but “…once you see the amount of uncollected funds, you will begin to grasp how much The Salvation Army can do with that $1.78,” the Web site says.

“We’re facing a big challenge to meet all the needs this Christmas,” said Major John R. Jones, divisional commander for The Salvation Army in Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi, in a prepared statement.

The division expects to provide more than 25,000 children in those states with toys and food this Christmas, he said.

For more information and instructions on how to donate, log on to www.salvationarmyalm.org or www.tsa-donatemycard.com. The process takes about 5 minutes. The local chapter’s phone number is 601-636-2706.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com.