Salvation Army in Tri-Cities sees more requests, fewer volunteers for bell ringing season
There are many telltale signs that winter has arrived. Some people watch for temperature dips, for the first morning they have to scrape their car windows, or the requirement of winter tires.
There are cultural observations that point to the cooler holiday season as well, like Christmas lights in city centers, large trees up in community public spaces, and Santas ready for pictures in shopping malls.
Another telltale sign that has decreased in significance in recent years is the signature bell ringers with the Salvation Army.
Each winter, volunteers stand outside of areas with lots of foot traffic with a red kettle for donations and a bell to ring. They’ll wish you a happy holiday as you walk in and out of the nearby store, collecting money from those willing to donate.
If you feel like you’ve been seeing fewer bell ringers so far this year, it’s because you have. Interest in bell ringing has dropped substantially in recent years.
Lack of Tri-Cities bell ringers
It’s gotten to the point where the Salvation Army has to hire people to ring the bells — an expensive solution. This can eat into 65% of the donations, according to Major Cristian Sibaja, the Salvation Army Tri-Cities commander.
On top of bringing in more donations, Sibaja told the Herald that volunteers bring a certain presence to the job that paid ringers don’t.
“It’s just magical, when volunteers are ringing,” said Sibaja.
The local Salvation Army is going to have about 13 fewer donation stations than last year, and there will likely be several left empty based on current numbers.
Sibaja says there are several groups and individuals in Tri-Cities who volunteer every year, and he is quite grateful for them. But he wants more volunteers each year.
“My goal is to do as much as I can for the community,” said Sibaja. “This is really a beautiful community.”
With the current economic state, recent years have brought more community members in need to the Salvation Army. This year, the organization is preparing to help more Tri-Citians, more than twice as many as last year, but with less volunteers.
“We need more support because inflation is really affecting us,” Sibaja said in an interview with the Herald. “We have around 62-65 clients who applied to our programs.”
Salvation Army Tri-Cities programs
Donations collected by bell ringers support Salvation Army programs throughout the year, making the red kettles a vital resource for the organization.
Funds raised this holiday season will go toward seasonal and yearlong services. The stated fundraising needs are:
Support for the growing demand of food, homeless and community coat programs
Rental assistance support
Capital improvements, additional space and accessibility for Sunday congregation
The Angel Tree program, referred to as Giving Tree, provides gifts for children in need through personalized volunteer purchases. This year, around 1,200-1,500 kids will receive new toys through the Salvation Army Tri-Cities, according to Sibaja. The Client’s Choice Pantry provides community food assistance similar to a grocery store, so Tri-Citians can pick and choose the groceries they need.
How else does the Salvation Army Tri-Cities service the community?
Coats for Kids partner
Homeless assistance, including survival bags, rental assistance and eviction prevention
Food service, including box deliveries and the community food pantry
Help Salvation Army Tri-Cities
There are many ways you can assist the organization, during the holidays or throughout the year.
▪ Sign up to volunteer as a bell ringer
If you have extra time this month, consider signing up online to ring a bell at a red kettle station. However, you can also sign up to count donations at the main office, if you’d prefer to stay out of the cold.
If you’re concerned you don’t have the time, willpower or social skills to ring a bell, you can create a virtual red kettle to fundraise within your social circle. You just create the kettle online and send it out — the process is easy, and you can track donations throughout the month.
“The world is changing,” Sibaja said. “A lot of people don’t have cash anymore.”
The virtual kettles can supplement any losses from the lack of bell ringers and cash-carriers, if enough people create one.
▪ Volunteer for or donate to other programs
Donations are always accepted at the Salvation Army Tri-Cities, whether monetary or physical items. Additionally, there are always volunteer opportunities.
If you’d like to be a part of the Giving Tree program, you can monitor the stand at the mall, pick up donations at specified locations or sort and distribute the donated toys.
Or take part in the food assistance programs. Organizations can host collection sites for canned food, or you can sign up as an individual to sort food items for distribution. You can also help staff the food pantry.
Other options include office support answering phones, or sort coats donated through Coats for Kids. Organizations can also host collection sites for coats.
