Looking for volunteers to ring bells

CALHOUN COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – Once the Halloween decorations come down, you may notice it starting to look a lot like Christmas, but one sign of the holidays, the Salvation Army bell-ringers, may be sitting silent.

Those bell-ringers stand in the slush and snow outside malls and other businesses all through the holidays, but in 2009, the Salvation Army is having trouble finding enough people willing to ring those bells. And the lack of bell-ringers could have a ripple effect in the community.

The Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign will be kicking off in just a few weeks, but already there are desperate cries from the organization in Calhoun County, where they are pleading for volunteers.

The tolling of those bells is a well known tradition for the Salvation Army, and one of its biggest fund-raisers of the year. It's called the Red Kettle campaign, but the annual fund drive is already coming up short before it even begins. It's not a lack of finances hindering the campaign, but a lack of volunteers.

The Salvation Army in Calhoun County told Newschannel 3 that they need hundreds more volunteers in order to have a successful kettle campaign. Without volunteers ringing bells, donations could suffer.

“If we don't have those, I don't know how we'd run our programs,” said Jack Gothard of the Salvation Army.

Donations collected during the holiday's help programs like the Salvation Army's food pantry, or the Christmas program run by Mary Gothard that helps supply area families with gifts during the holidays.

“Those bell-ringers bring in the money for people and their needs,” said Mary.

In 2008, money generated from the kettle campaign went directly to the Christmas program, helping over 700 families, and in 2009, the demand is even greater.

“With the economy the way it is, it will be a lot more,” said Mary.

Now the Salvation Army is asking for the community's help. If they can't recruit enough volunteers, they will hire bell-ringers, but the money to pay those bell-ringers takes away from the programs the Salvation Army offers to the community.