Salvation Army kicks off Red Kettle season
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The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign begins Monday and runs through Christmas Eve at several Blair County locations.
Volunteers or those tapped through the Skills of Central Pennsylvania work program will be looking to put a smile on passersby, open a door or share a cheery greeting, said Captain Larry Fulmer, who serves as lead pastor of The Salvation Army Altoona Worship Center.
"It's an opportunity to engage with the public. The bell ringers are the face of the Salvation Army this time of year," he said. "People remember the bell ringers who are kind. We don't ask for donations. Our mission as the Salvation Army is to be present to people and meet a human need."
This year's Red Kettle Campaign goal is $95,000, and Fulmer emphasized that all donations stay in the 16601 and 16602 zip codes for residents who need food, financial assistance, disaster relief and youth and older adult ministries. Funds raised "allow us to do what we do all year long," he said.
Red kettles will be found at the Logan Valley Mall, Sam's Club, Walmart, Boscov's and Hobby Lobby. It takes about 15 volunteers to man the kettles regularly each day. Volunteers include many civic and social groups, families and individuals, he said. If someone would like to volunteer, they can do so by making a call to the Salvation Army office at 814-942-8104.
"It's an opportunity to serve this time of year," Fulmer said.
With rising prices at the fuel pump and the grocery store, Salvation Army officials have noticed a different kind of need the past several months.
"There are many places to go to get food, but the biggest need we've seen is for personal hygiene products. So we started a hygiene pantry," he said. It is stocked with toothpaste, tooth brushes, dental floss, deodorants, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, combs and brushes, and feminine hygiene supplies.
The pantry is available to anyone who expresses a need, he said, and most of those they have seen are the area's homeless.
"It's one less thing they have to worry about buying," he said. "It helps their self-esteem and takes them to the next level. It's not just a handout but a hand up," Fulmer said.
During the summer, the Salvation Army assisted a homeless couple who lives year-round in a tent in a wooded area.
"They didn't want anything else. They said the showers were enough. It changed them. They left happier and feeling more a part of society. It boosted their morale," Fulmer said. "The homelessness problem in the area is rising, so if we can help in some way, we will. The donations people give no matter how small does help us change a person's life."