APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Fox Cities Salvation Army says it’s desperately searching for volunteers to ring bells. It’s the last couple of weeks of its Red Kettle Campaign, and numbers are low.
“I think that it would be wonderful for anyone to volunteer, even an hour of their time, and it’s just a rewarding experience,” said bell ringer for the Fox Cities Salvation Army Helen Mclellan.
Mclellan tells FOX 11 she has been a volunteer bell ringer for over 15 years.
“It’s a very worthwhile thing to be able to help the community and, especially, the Salvation Army, because it’s such a wonderful organization.”
Bells have been ringing, but not as many as the Fox Cities Salvation Army would like to hear.
More than half of the organization’s spots still need to be filled before Christmas Eve.
“There are very few bell ringers right now, and so we’re quite worried,” said Major David Minks of the Fox Cities Salvation Army.
“Some days we lose several thousands of dollars because no one’s outside ringing.”
When a red kettle is manned by a bell ringer, the Salvation Army says it collects about $60 an hour. But without one, that number drops significantly, sometimes to as low as less than $1 an hour.
“If no one is ringing the bell, people don’t usually put any money in,” Mclellan said.
The Fox Cities Salvation Army said this year it’s down about 20% from its overall goal of $1.2 million.
Minks tells FOX 11 those funds are critical to continue helping thousands in need.
“Year-round, the Salvation Army helps with food for those who have little, it helps feed children, of course, toys at Christmas time, and there’s a homeless population in the area that is taken care of.”
In the next week, there will be several days where donations are doubled by local corporations, so the Salvation Army says having more bell ringers out is crucial.
If you would like to learn more about volunteering at the Fox Cities Salvation Army or at different locations around Northeast Wisconsin, visit their website.
