Local Salvation Army recruiting volunteer red-kettle bell ringers

Jake Johnston, from left, Lexi Grissom, Patricia Braswell and Benay Dodson ring bells for The Salvation Army in Cabot as they volunteer their time through the Lonoke Exceptional Development Center.
Jake Johnston, from left, Lexi Grissom, Patricia Braswell and Benay Dodson ring bells for The Salvation Army in Cabot as they volunteer their time through the Lonoke Exceptional Development Center.

CABOT — As holiday shoppers head to the stores this month, one recognizable sound will ring out above the crowds. No one questions what the bell means, and a quick glance toward the door of the store will yield the familiar sight of a bell ringer with a red vest standing next to a red kettle for donations.

Every year from Black Friday to Christmas Eve, volunteers and workers with The Salvation Army utilize the recognizable red kettles to raise money for the organization’s many services, including providing food and shelter for the homeless, assisting with utilities and medicine for needy families and continuing Christmas-specific programs in local communities.

The Salvation Army red kettle tradition was started in 1891 by Salvation Army Capt. Joseph McFee in San Francisco, according to the organization’s website. McFee wanted to provide a free Christmas dinner for the poor people in the area, and he placed a pot for donations at the Oakland ferry landing.

By Christmas 1895, kettles were used in 30 Salvation Army locations across the West Coast, and now the kettles are used all over the world to raise money to support The Salvation Army’s various outreach opportunities.

This year, things are changing a bit for the local Salvation Army’s red kettle effort. A renewed effort to recruit volunteer bell ringers has started in many central Arkansas cities, and the hope is that more members of the community will give a few hours of their time in order to stand by the kettles.

Colleen Caldwell is the volunteer coordinator in Cabot for The Salvation Army — a new volunteer role formed this year — and she said she is still looking for volunteers to man the kettles around town.

Some bell ringers are Salvation Army employees, but Caldwell said volunteers tend to be more successful in bringing in donations. If a volunteer is working, they are recognized with a sign next to the kettle, and shoppers tend to give more when they see that sign.

“On average, volunteers bring in 310 percent more to the kettles than a paid worker,” Caldwell said. “If people see that it’s a volunteer organization, they relate better.”

While the red kettles are only out for a short time during the holidays, donations made to The Salvation Army’s red kettles are used to support the organization’s year-round efforts.

“The Salvation Army has said the Red Kettle Campaign can make 20 percent of the budget,” Caldwell said. “The need goes beyond Christmas.”

In the first year as volunteer coordinator for this new effort to recruit volunteers, Caldwell said she has reached out to civic organizations, schools, children’s clubs and churches to see who would give a few hours of their time to the kettle. She said the planning started in September, and she has had about 10 percent response this year from the people she contacted.

“I think next year we’ll have a bigger response,” she said.

Volunteering with The Salvation Army can earn community service hours and can be noted on college applications. Caldwell also said the kettle is a great opportunity for families to volunteer together.

“It’s a great thing to do with children,” she said.

The volunteer session usually works best when a team can commit to a minimum of four consecutive hours at a kettle, according to The Salvation Army’s website. Team members can set up shifts and rotate in and out, and volunteers are encouraged to have fun by greeting shoppers and singing Christmas carols during their shifts.

Those interested in volunteering in Cabot can contact Caldwell at (501) 529-0604. Other volunteer inquiries can be directed to Kathy Barbeire at (501) 374-9296, ext. 110, or Kathy_Barbeire@uss.salvationarmy.org. There is also an online volunteer shift schedule at www.salvationarmyaok.org/caac/volunteer/ring-a-bell/.

For those who either cannot volunteer to ring a bell or want to find another way to help, The Salvation Army has an online giving program called the Online Red Kettle, which is available from November through January each year. The Online Red Kettle can be inserted into blogs and Facebook pages, and participants can manage the virtual kettle through an iPhone application. For more information on the Online Red Kettle, visit www.onlineredkettle.org.

Any volunteer effort is welcome, Caldwell said, and there is still time to sign up for a shift at the kettle.

“This is what Christmas is about, more than buying stuff,” Caldwell said. “It’s about helping others.”

Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.

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