The holidays are a fun time of the year with festivities constantly planned with family, friends and coworkers! The celebrations are a great reminder of what’s really important in life. Looking for a new way to give back with your family, friends or coworkers? Bell ringing is a great opportunity to bring everyone together and impact your community. Need more convincing? Read through the ten reasons below why you should sign up to bell ring!
1. Start a Family Tradition
So many families try to volunteer during the holidays to instill the value of giving back to the community in their children. Ringing a bell is a great way to introduce them to volunteer work. It is simple enough that even the youngest child can help, but the impact is huge.
2. Be the Sounds of the Season
It really doesn’t feel like Christmas until you hear the first bell ringing. You can be a part of sharing holiday joy by providing the sounds of the season.
3. Hear Uplifting Stories from People Impacted by The Salvation Army
When people walk by the kettles, more often than not, they stop by with a story to tell. Whether they were once helped by The Salvation Army, used to volunteer or know someone who was a recipient of some sort of service, the stories they share are enlightening and uplifting.
4. It Becomes a Game
I personally started a competition with myself: how many people can I get to donate that walk through the doors? I wanted to greet everyone and share the message of The Salvation Army, which is to do the most good. I began to count how many people in a row I could get to donate, and then when someone didn’t donate, I started over. It was actually really entertaining!
5. The Money You Raise Directly Impacts Your Community
The Red Kettle Campaign is The Salvation Army’s largest fundraiser. 85% of everything raised by the Red Kettle Campaign goes directly back into the community, meaning it helps feed the hungry, keep people warm through the cold winter months, help at risk youth and many other programs that The Salvation Army offer.
6. You Can Learn How Much You Raised
After you ring the kettle, the kettle coordinator will collect your kettle and put a tag in the kettle, indicating that you were the person who rang. The next day, if you call the Corps, they will tell you how much you raised in the time you volunteered. It is incredibly rewarding to know that you donated four hours of your time and raised money that is going to a really good cause – at virtually no cost to you.
7. Christmas Caroling
Christmas Caroling is one of the best parts of the holiday season. Nothing says, “It’s Christmastime” like hearing people singing their favorite holiday tunes. It is a great excuse to sing your favorite carols without having the potential awkwardness of singing directly to someone by knocking on their door or visiting their home.
8. A Reason to Wear Tacky Christmas Sweaters
Dressing up to ring bells makes it even more fun! The Salvation Army thrift store has a wide array of Christmas sweaters throughout the year that make great holiday attire. You can wear your favorite tacky Christmas sweater, dress like Santa or Mrs. Clause, an elf, a reindeer or you can get creative!
9. It’s Fun
It is actually a lot of fun! Grab your family or a group of friends and make a day out of it. Pack your hot chocolate, some cookies and your camera and you have a fun holiday spirited outing! You can dance around, sing carols and really make it a fun event! The more joy the merrier the kettle!
10. Be a Part of the Legacy
The Red Kettle Campaign has a deep history in America. It began in 1891 in San Francisco when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee wanted to provide a free Christmas dinner to families who needed it. He decided to adapt an idea that was originally developed in Liverpool, England where people could throw some change into a pot to help the poor. Six years later, it spread to the East Coast and continued to grow into the tradition it is today, spreading throughout the entire United States and across the world. That’s a pretty exciting thing to be a part of!
Did we convince you?
To ring in Oklahoma County, contact Liz Banks at 405-246-1107 or redkettlevolunteer.org to sign up.
To ring in Cleveland County, email NormanKettles@uss.salvationarmy.org. Please provide your name, address, phone number and email when reaching out.
To ring in Canadian County, contact Lois DeBerry at 405-323-8846 or lois.deberry@uss.salvationarmy.org to sign up.
Ryan Frace was first introduced to The Salvation Army because his son was invited to help serve dinner in the Red Shield Diner with his cousins. After that night, Ryan’s son couldn’t stop talking about the experience and they looked forward to the next opportunity to serve.
