The Salvation Army is ‘desperate’ for holiday bell ringers as volunteer ranks dwindle

As the countdown to Christmas quickly approaches, the Salvation Army is calling the Spokane community to action due to low donation numbers and absence of volunteers.

“This year, we have been down on volunteers and people hired, so even though we have locations where people could be standing, we have nobody to stand there,” said Ken Perine, the executive director and corps officer of the Salvation Army in Spokane. “We haven’t experienced this before. It’s hard to tell why volunteers aren’t coming out.”

The Salvation Army is nearly $60,000 short of its donation total at this time last year. It has a donation goal of $400,000 by the end of the holiday season.

“Including bell ringing and donations, we were at $400,000 last year,” Perine said. “We are concerned about this coming year, making sure to raise funds to keep the lights on and continuing doing what we do.”

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign began in the 1900s and has been a seasonal tradition nationally every year since. Due to bell ringers being one of the organization’s leading sources of donations, an absence of both hires and volunteers has left the Salvation Army urgently calling their neighbors to action.

“We are desperate, as this point, trying to get people to volunteer,” Perine said. “You could make someone’s day and be a part of the solution to help people move on in life this Christmas season.”

The Salvation Army generally seeks out adult volunteers; however, families are welcome to sign up. Shifts range from two to four hours, and bell ringers are stationed outside various grocery stores across the Spokane area. Information on how to apply to be a bell ringer can be found on the Salvation Army website.

However, if individuals are unable to take part in the red kettle campaign, Perine encourages those interested in supporting the Salvation Army to either visit the Spokane office, or to visit the Salvation Army’s website at spokane.salvationarmy.org/spokane_citadel/, to make in-person or online donations.

“We are all about helping people wherever they’re at,” Perine said. “We follow the three R’s: rescuing the perishing, renewing the ability to thrive and restoring a healthy community.

“We use our funds to help people move forward in life.”