About half an hour into our bell-ringing shift at Hobby Lobby last week a car alarm began to sound in the parking lot in front of the store. The horn honking and light flashing continued until a lady detached herself from the line at the cash register, walked over to the glass doors, and pressed the button on her fob several times until the noise subsided.
It’s Christmas season and the kettle stands are set up in the Hobby Lobby entrance, as well as the doorways of grocery stores, discount stores, drug stores, and other high traffic locations around the Madison area and across the country. But unless there are volunteers to man the stand, there are no kettles to collect the money.
Kettle Surprises
Every Christmas there always seem to be a few stories of gold coins and other valuable items turning up in the red kettles at some locations, although I don’t remember that happening here in the Madison area recently. I do remember that several years ago a woman was arrested for stealing one of the kettles.
Volunteers now have to sign in at the store’s courtesy counter and show identification before checking out a kettle. Another innovation this year, actual sleigh bells on a red strap. The sleigh bells are a welcome change, and sound much more like Christmas than the school house bells used in past years.
Kids and Christmas
Children are always one of the best things about the bell-ringing shift, either pulling on their parents arms to come and drop some money in, or being steered by the parent to the kettle in an instructional manner, as if to say, “this is important.”
One little boy was being held up so that he was high enough to see where to drop the coins in. “How old are you?” he was asked. “One,” he said. “No you’re not, you’re three,” said the mother.
More Volunteers Needed
The annual kettle campaign began November 19th. Last week when I went online to sign up for a shift, it seemed to me that there were more open shifts than usual. But Donald Haar, the Kettle Coordinator, reported in an email that “we are doing well with getting the shifts filled, the problem is people not showing up.”
Thousands of shifts have been filled but there are many more opportunities (vacancies) between now and Christmas Eve. Volunteering is easy at http://ringbells.org/. Just choose a community and a store, and select a shift that is open. There are 78 kettle locations in Dane County. The Salvation Army hopes to raise $625,000, which will be used to serve needy people through their food pantry, emergency shelter, other social services, and other Christmas programs.
A number of local churches, service clubs, Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups, and other organizations sponsor some of the shifts. The Salvation Army reports more than 30 companies and organizations are now part of “Adopt-A-Kettle.
Anyone Can Do It
But ordinary people can also volunteer. We’ve chosen to do it as a family, as part of our annual Christmas tradition, for about 18 years now.
The majority of people just walk by the kettle. But the few who not only put in money but also take the time to say “thank you for doing this,” know the important role that the Salvation Army plays in our community.
Last week one lady stopped for five minutes to tell us how much she appreciated the Salvation Army. Her son and her son’s girl friend are both in recovery. The girl friend especially appreciated the housing services that the Salvation Army offered, during the time when she needed help getting back on her feet. Demand for these services is always increasing. “They need more room,” she said, as she turned to walk through the door into the cold night.
READ MORE:
Wisconsin State Journal reports on local bell-ringing
A Chicago Tribune reporter wants the bell ringing stopped
Salvation Army taking credit cards in St. Louis
Competitive bell ringing – USA TODAY
Bell Ringing Flash Mob (video)
Sun Prairie Star story on local bell ringing