Salvation Army rings in holiday season

Holly Dorman
Posted 12/2/21

No matter the religion or denomination, many people feel inclined to give during the holiday season.

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Salvation Army rings in holiday season

Posted

TORRINGTON – No matter the religion or denomination, many people feel inclined to give during the holiday season. Some people give money, some people give time and some people give gifts to people they don’t know.

The Salvation Army recruits volunteers every year to help raise funds by standing outside grocery stores and other local stores with a bell and red kettle, a sight often associated with the holiday spirit. WYO Help is recruiting volunteers to ring the bell this season, helping raise funds for The Salvation Army. 

The Salvation Army does not have national fundraising efforts, so the money donated within local communities stays in local communities. For the Kettle Drive, 90% of the money stays in Goshen County to aid those in need of help while the remaining 10% goes to pay The Salvation Army staff who oversee operations giving assistance.

When disaster strikes, victims can find themselves in need of food, money for rent and utilities, temporary housing and sometimes medical needs. The Salvation Army works to meet those needs, often facing fewer restrictions than WYO Help.

In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee stood on the Oakland Ferry Landing with a kettle and a sign reading “Keep the Pot Boiling.” Passersby tossed their spare change into the kettle, and McFee soon had enough money to feed many of San Francisco’s neediest on Christmas Day. Since then, volunteers ringing bells with a kettle for donations have become a holiday fixture.

The Kettle Drive in Goshen County began Nov. 27 and will continue through Dec. 23. Those wanting to ring the bell can go to wyohelp.com to sign up.