Salvation Army Bell-Ringing Kicks Off

Salvation Army of Mahaska County

Salvation Army of Mahaska County

Oskaloosa, Iowa – That familiar holiday sound, ding-ding-ding, as you enter many establishments welcomes people to the holiday season. That, along with the familiar red kettle often hanging from the middle of a tripod stand.

The Salvation Army Red Kettle fundraising effort can trace its way back to 1891. It started in the San Francisco area as an effort to help feed 1,000 of the city’s poorest on Christmas Day.

Locally, the Salvation Army arrives to help individuals and families in distress. Disasters like fires, or financial disasters like the loss of employment can have immediate impacts. The Salvation Army works with those individuals and families to help during those transitional times.

Jerry Morrison, Chairperson for the Mahaska County Salvation Army, said that the bells are now ringing in the Mahaska County area. This is the group’s biggest fundraising campaign, and “all the funds we raise stay here in the area,” said Morrison in an Oskaloosa News interview.

Last year, the fundraising campaign set a goal of raising $35,000. With just day left to go, and only $17,000 raised to that point, there were two checks placed into kettles in a single day, helping to raise an additional $15,000. If that wasn’t exciting enough, before the end of the season was finished another donor dropped another $10,000 check in a kettle, which helped the organization reach and exceed its goal. In all, the group raised $44,000, which was the highest amount ever raised locally.

This year, Morrison hopes to equal last year’s fundraising efforts.

Emergency food and clothing are the primary expenditures the group helps with. Assistance with shelter and utilities are other forms of aid that the group helps with in our community. The organization is the last hope most individuals have before eviction or a disconnect of utilities happens.

Keeping people warm and sheltered, “that’s the biggest thing,” says Morrision.

Saturday was the first day bell-ringers took their stations, and they will be at various locations around the community until Christmas Eve, December 24th.

Volunteers are the heart of bell-ringing, and if you would like an opportunity to do so, you can call Morrison at 641.660.0173

If you would like to mail a donation, you can do so by sending it to:

Mahaska County Salvation Army
P.O. Box 487
Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577

You can find the local Salvation Army on Facebook HERE

Posted by on Nov 24 2015. Filed under Local News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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