BENTONVILLE — Red kettles and the sound of ringing bells have become almost as synonymous with Christmas as fir trees and Santa Claus.
Salvation Army bell ringers are stationed outside of popular shopping spots each year in Benton County and elsewhere. They ring small bells, send passersby well wishes and hope their red kettles are filled with spare change by the end of the day.
This time last year, Salvation Army bell ringers in Benton County had raised $100,000. Through the same time this year, $88,000 has been collected, Capt. Bobby Carr of the Rogers post of the Salvation Army said.
Terry Mattox of Eureka Springs makes sure to carry spare change during the holiday season so he always has something to give the Salvation Army when he passes one of the red kettles.
“I am a Christian man and it is just one way I can contribute to the needy,” Mattox said. “I am sure a lot of the charities are down right now and everybody can afford to give just a little.”
Donations made by people like Mattox go directly to helping people in the community pay the electric bills, rent or to buy groceries, Carr said, noting money collected by the Salvation Army during the holiday season is used year round to help those in need.
Kathy Bageant of Bentonville is thankful for the Salvation Army this year.
Bageant lost her job on Feb. 2 and has been working any part-time job she can find to help supplement her unemployment income, she said.
Earlier this month, Bageant turned to the Salvation Army for extra food for Christmas dinner and help paying her rent. After she received the help, Bageant was put to work in the Salvation Army’s Rogers office as an assistant, she said.
“I came in to get some help and they put me to work and it has been a real blessing,” Bageant said.
Each day, the Salvation Army helps between 10 and 12 area families who have found themselves in similar situations as Bageant. All of the assistance given to those families comes from money raised by the bell ringers, Carr said.
Because donations are down, the Salvation Army is getting a little creative. They hope that doing things such as having Strike, the mascot for the Arkansas Naturals, as a celebrity bell ringer will help donations increase.
“The economy is so different than it was last year and so many people are not working or are not working as much that it is harder for everyone,” Bageant said.
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sfret says...
I give because I'm not hurting like many.
I wonder if the anticipation of the Federal Gov't, Washington Co. Quorum Court and Fayetteville (we'll spend it anyway) school system spending scares some?
Again, I give. But, Grandpa Jim can afford more taxes. I'm sure plenty are worried to the bone.
December 19, 2009 at 7:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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