TYLER, Texas — It’s about that time of year again when you’ll begin to see bell ringers with The Salvation Army spreading the holiday cheer.
The Salvation Army has kicked off its ‘Red Kettle' campaign. The goal is to collect funds and help serve those in need this holiday season.
This is also a time of year when The Salvation Army is in need of more volunteers for numerous opportunities.
“We really have a lot of volunteer opportunities; from our Thanksgiving meals to our Christmas efforts,” The Salvation Army Capt. Jeremy Walker said. “We have our Angel Tree program, red kettles going and we're in desperate need of volunteers to come out.”
Walker said they plan to have a total of 43 locations for bell ringers this year.
He added the annual campaign plays an important part in supplying food and services to those in need throughout the year.
“We feed, house and counsel 365 days a year," Walker added. “The red kettles is such a vital part of that, it's our biggest fundraiser and our national average is 82 cents of every dollar that goes into that kettle, we put right back into services.”
Veteran volunteer Henry Dennard has been volunteering for The Salvation Army for about 20 years. The best feeling he gets out of volunteering is spreading joy to those he interacts with.
“I get to share the joy that I have, that God has given me,” Dennard said. “The people who are putting a coin in the kettle, or whatever it is with regards to what they're doing to help The Salvation Army. It gives me a sense of joy.”
There are other ways you can volunteer with The Salvation Army. The organization is working to help 2,500 angels for it’s annual Angel Tree program.
The program helps provide Christmas gifts for hundreds of thousands of children and seniors around the country.
“They're always looking for willing participants especially strong ones to carry gifts,” Walker said. “We’re always looking for volunteers to get involved with that and it’s a lot of work a lot of hours, but it's always worth it in the end because every kid deserves Christmas.”
To learn more on ways you can join The Salvation Army this holiday season, check out its website.