New Salvation Army director working to fill Red Kettle slots by Saturday
PORT CLINTON - Thanks to her background in education and finance, Erica Ward stepped easily into her new role as the new director of the Ottawa County Salvation Army Service Center.
She jumped into the position during the Salvation Army’s busy Christmas season, and her most urgent task is getting more volunteers to make it through the next couple weeks. There are many empty spots on the Red Kettle bellringer calendar, and Ward is desperate to fill them.
“Our primary funding comes from the kettles,” Ward said.
Without bell ringers, needed funds are lost
All of the funds collected by the Red Kettle Campaign in Ottawa County stay in Ottawa County, and Ottawa County residents are generous when they see a Salvation Army Red Kettle. But if no one is available to man a kettle, much-needed funds are lost.
“If people are there with a red kettle, we get donations. If they’re not there, we don’t get donations,” Ward said.
This year’s Red Kettle Campaign goal is $88,000.
“We’re nowhere near that,” Ward said. “Our biggest push is now through Dec. 23. We need ringers to fill in the gaps. There are so many gaps.”
Ward said a big obstacle to finding enough bellringers was the move to make registration available only online this year, so she is now offering in-person and phone registration.
“There was so much frustration with it that I decided that bellringers can now sign up by coming into the office or calling,” Ward said. “We’ll go back to the old way of signing up on boards next year.”
Saturday is a big day for kettle collections
The Red Kettle Campaign has two big events coming up. On Saturday, Dec. 16, Toledo Match Day, the Toledo office will match all the cash donations to the Ottawa County Red Kettles.
“They’ll only match cash donations, not checks,” Ward said. “We would love for people to flood our kettles.”
Dec. 22 is Red Kettle Celebrity Day. From 4 to 6 p.m., a Marine will man the Walmart kettle, Ottawa County Clerk of Courts John Klaehn will man the Catawba Bassett’s kettle, and Port Clinton Mayor Mike Snider will man the Kroger kettle.
Although finding volunteer bellringers is at the top of Ward’s Christmas to-do list, something a little more fun is taking precedence this week: Collecting toys for the annual toy drive.
On Monday, a steady stream of donors arrived at the service center with cars loaded with toys. At the same time, Light House Sober Living Executive Director Kenn Bower, Jr. and volunteer Blake Johnson picked up toy collection boxes from around Port Clinton and delivered them to the service center, saving Ward time she can’t spare.
“Kenn and the guys at Light House are just great. They do so much to help us,” Ward said.
This year, the Ottawa County service center collected toys for about 900 children. Families who have registered will have the opportunity to pick up their toys a few days before Christmas.
“We let parents come out and shop for their kids,” Ward said. “They know what their kids like.”
Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: Ward takes over at Ottawa County Salvation Army in busiest season
