Salvation Army seeking volunteer help
Only a small group of local bell ringers are signed up to collect cash for the Salvation Army this year, and the organization could use extra hands to meet its annual goal.
As of Monday, Butler's Salvation Army had collected just $51,000 of its $98,000 goal for the year, according to administrative assistant Amy Tebay. Tebay said she wasn't sure if the organization would be able to make its goal with the limited number of bell ringers it has working storefronts.
Tebay said the Salvation Army starts each season with a decent number of workers — around 20 total. By Christmas, that number usually dwindles significantly.
This year, the organization is down to just six regular bell ringers working the area around Butler, she said. The office covers roughly the same area as the Butler School District.
Among those six bell ringers is Mark Reed of Petrolia. Reed has been working the red kettles for seven years, and he works eight-hour shifts each day to collect donations.
“It's for a great cause,” Reed said. “And I get some money ahead of Christmas time. It always pays some of my Christmas presents.”
Bell ringers like Reed are paid minimum wage for their work. However, it's a bit late for additional paid ringers to get signed up and ready before Christmas comes and the ringing season ends, according to Tebay.
But that doesn't mean people can't still volunteer to man a red kettle for a few hours. Tebay said that if people want to help in a manner other than donating, volunteering is one of the best things to do.
Reed finds the experience rewarding every year, and he thinks others would as well.
“You get to meet people,” Reed said. “You get out of the house. Sometimes, you get hot chocolate or something to eat. People are pretty nice to you.”
Of course, most are just interested in helping their community. The coins, bills and checks collected by bell ringers represent a significant portion of the Salvation Army's general fund. The money goes to after-school programs, soup kitchens and more.
“It keeps people fed,” Tebay said.
Reed said the bell ringers have collected a few checks for more than $200 this year. The stream of donations has been “steady,” he said.
Yet, Tebay said the organization is bottlenecked by the number of people it can get out collecting donations.
“It's going to be hard to reach the goal with only three or four people out working each day,” Tebay said.
In Butler, Tebay said the organization is only able to consistently staff Walmart, Rural King and Sam's Club. Other locations are being covered sporadically.
Bell ringing ceases on Christmas Eve after a final few hours of collection.
To volunteer as a bell ringer in the Butler area, call the Salvation Army office at 724-287-5532.
