It’s around this time of year that people start hearing the bells again. No, it’s not because they’re going crazy and hearing things—it is because the Salvation Army has set up camp outside many stores in several areas for the holiday season.

 

Bundled up to protect against the elements and equipped with their red kettles and bells, these volunteers do more than just ring bells; by braving the weather, they help those in need within their community.

 

According to the Salvation Army website, William Booth, a minister from London, founded the Salvation Army in 1865 and has offered “spiritual ministry, social services, and youth programs” to those in need since its beginning. The Salvation Army is well-known for the social services it provides to their “hungry and homeless neighbors.” The money, resources and time volunteered by supporters are what make this service possible.

 

Since its beginning in 1891 in San Francisco, the Red Kettle Campaign has been the most prominent fundraiser that the Salvation Army has offered. Many of us have placed a wad of dollar bills or a handful of coins into those recognizable red kettles as we walk past them, but do not know where that money goes. Ringbells.org, the website where volunteers can sign up, states that “the Red Kettle Christmas Campaign enables “the Army to provide food, toys and clothing to over 6 million people during the Christmas season and helps more than 34 million Americans recovering from personal disasters nationwide.”

 

If you would like to become a bell ringer for the Salvation Army, simply go to ringbells.org and search for locations near you. It will list volunteer openings at specific locations based on your search, and allow you to sign up right then and there.