Bells are ringing as part of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign to help those in need. The street campaign kicks off as volunteers collect money at numerous spots where they ring bells. The organization is expecting to use more donation money for meals because of the rising cost of food.
Lt. Brandon Kyle with the Salvation Army in Kenai:
“Salvation Army has always looked forward to inviting the community to support us not just Christmas, although that’s our main push for bell ringing, but specifically Christmas time, we have quite a bit we’re trying to accomplish and that can’t be done without the money we receive at the kettles with the bells and also with volunteer help. It really, it’s a team effort from the community and we’re able to only do what we do with help from everyone else.”
When you are out and about around the Kenai Peninsula, expect to see those red kettles with a friend or neighbor ringing the bell looking for donations. Kyle said:
“We do checks and cash still, but we’ve also expanded since COVID. We’ve actually introduced monetary like debit cards so we’ve got a QR code on all of the kettle signs if you want to scan it and it will open you up to a website that you can donate by PayPal or all of those online ways, but now there’s even a way to donate through cryptocurrency, as funny as that is. The Salvation Army has always been forward thinking. We’re always making sure that we’re ready for the future so that we can serve the present as best we can.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some officials believe it might be tougher to meet all the demand for its Angel Tree program this year. Kyle says:
“Yeah, a couple of places, Wal-Mart and Fred Meyer have both offered to host an Angel Tree. So you pick up a tag there with a child in mind and then you shop for them. You try to get that gift as best as you can and then you turn that into either customer service or if they have a bin out by the tree, then you can put it in the bin.”
For more information, log on to www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyKenai or http://kenai.salvationarmy.org or call them at (907) 283 – 3879.
