MOUNT VERNON — Ever since Salvation Army Capt. Joseph McFee first used a large pot to collect donations to provide a free Christmas dinner for those in need in San Francisco in 1891, the sound of coins sliding into a kettle at the holidays has meant someone is giving a little to help their neighbor.
Over 100 years later, shoppers still drop their coins and bills into red kettles manned by smiling bell ringers each Christmas, to provide a helping hand to those experiencing hard times. This holiday season, a struggling economy means the need is especially great.
“As the needs have multiplied this year for people, so has the need for a good, over-the-top kettle campaign,” Salvation Army Major Bob Bender said at the 2008 Kettle Kickoff on Wednesday evening at Kroger on Coshocton Avenue.
“It’s just a struggle for people,” Bender said of current economic hardship. “We used to do 40 to 50 food boxes a month. We’ve hit over a 100 a couple of months.”
The major said the food provided by Food for the Hungry each year usually supplements those boxes into October each year. The increased need this year has hit the army’s food pantry hard. “That pantry has been on the verge of empty since June,” Bender said.
Last year the kettle campaign raised over $60,000 according to Bender. He said individual donations raised the final grand total to almost $75,000. The army hopes to raise $65,000 this year in the kettles. Bender said generous individual donations could raise that mark to $80,000.
Bender said his faith in the community’s generosity has never been disappointed. He believes the tough economy will inspire people to reach a little deeper into their pockets because the need is so much greater.
“They’re a miracle,” Bender said pointing at the red kettle attended by Ed Smith. “We set it up and put the kettle up, and you don’t even have to ask. People give.”
Smith said he has been ringing bells next to the Salvation Army for 23 Christmases. He will be working shifts with his jingle bells all season. He said he became involved at The Salvation Army in Mount Vernon with his wife and children over 20 years ago when his family was looking for a church.
Many shoppers greeted Smith by name. Strangers slipped a bill or coins into the kettle as Smith wished them happy holidays.
The Salvation Army begins setting up kettles in Mount Vernon each year on Nov. 15, according to Smith. They have kettles at Krogers, Wal-Mart, Kmart and Neff’s, but are looking for more locations.
Much of The Salvation Army’s fundraising is accomplished through the campaign each holiday season. “We do mailings throughout the year, but this is critical,” said Bender.
The army will help over 300 families this Christmas with a meal, and toys for between 800 and 1,000 children. “We try to give each kid two or three toys,” said Bender. “And we try to give them at least one good meal for a holiday meal.”
The money dropped into kettles at Christmastime helps families throughout the year. “It helps us with The Harbor program which has a family center that serves a lot of teens,” Bender said.
“It helps us provide meals because people can get free meals at The Harbor if they need it,” he added. “It also helps us send kids to camp in the summer, and it supplements our emergency assistance we provide each month.”
David and Alice Hathorn of Mount Vernon slipped money into the kettle as they left the store. They said they have been doing so for 30 years.
Eight-year-old Jayden Park added her change later after grocery shopping with her dad. She said she liked knowing the money would help other children. “I hope they can buy some toys for kids who don’t have them,” she said.
As another shopper dropped in a few coins, Smith noted that every little bit helps. He said several years ago an unknown person slipped a $1,000 into a kettle in town.
Bender said the generosity of people in the community has never disappointed him. “I’ve been doing this 20 years and I’ve never had it be less than the year before,” he said.
“People love. They do,” he said standing next to the kettle filling with change as shoppers walked by. “They seem to come through even when it’s tough.”
