(Seguin) — The familiar sound of bells will return to storefronts this Friday as the Salvation Army launches its annual Red Kettle Campaign — and this year, organizers say the need is greater than ever. The Seguin unit is hoping to surpass last year’s total of more than $46,000. The funds are used for emergency assistance for families across Guadalupe County.
Kettles will again be stationed outside Walmart, and for the first time, volunteers will also ring outside the new Hobby Lobby store in Seguin. The campaign will run daily through Christmas Eve.
Melissa Waters, office coordinator for the Seguin unit, says the demand shows no signs of slowing.
“A little temporary assistance can go a long long way, and we see that and very often, we’ve seen families that have not had any assistance before, and we are seeing more seniors than we have ever seen before. Prices are going up but their retirement check and their pension didn’t go up. Maybe they’ve saved a little, but that nest egg has dwindled right on down. It’s put on our hearts to help take care of one another,” said Waters.
Rev. Tom Jones, GRMC chaplain and Salvation Army board member, says the Red Kettle funds often become the lifeline that keeps households afloat.
“There’s a lot of households that are one paycheck away. It’s definitely unsettling in our entire nation but certainly in our community. It’s a stressful time and monetarily, it is a very stressful time. If you can’t make your car payment, how do you juggle the mortgage payment with the utility payment and the grocery bill and then the school activities – all those different things and there are a lot of families that are really struggling to juggle that and sometimes the Salvation Army can be that little gap to help somebody make the ends meet,” said Jones.
Board member and longtime Kettle Crew volunteer Liz Hilsdorf says the continuation and the strength of the campaign comes from everyday people.
“That is what the red kettle does in our community and this is 100 percent volunteer which is something we are really proud to say and then the companies come out and sign up for ringing the bell and then it makes a difference because people give from little kids, a parent and that unsuspecting person who drops in something extra in there like a bracelet — like we got one time with a note that said ‘please feed the children Salvation Army’ and we were able to sell that and then put the money into the pot. It’s just all the volunteers who come out and make such a difference in the community and then all the people on the team for the Salvation Army — it’s amazing that we have a kettle crew that takes it out and picks it up and counts the money and does all that and then the register to ring group and then the board – I mean it’s just such a team of people that help make it happen. I love this community,” said Hilsdorf.
Waters says emergency requests are not slowing down anytime soon – making it even more vital for people to give this holiday season.
“But to just give you a glance of what we are looking at here. We are only supposed to be able see four appointments a day because there’s an average amount which is $200 — $200 toward rent or $200 toward utilities – not both. Well, if you do the math on that, that really adds up. We’ve been seeing on average 7-6 or even 8 in a day. So, does that give you an idea of where we are at? It’s like pulling a stopper out of the bottom of a bathtub in terms of money. So, if it wasn’t for the Kettle Campaign, we would be in a world of hurt. So, we are definitely asking this very generous community, remember the Salvation Army,” said Waters.
With the launch just days away, Waters says the Seguin unit is also encouraging more groups to take part as bell ringers.
“We still have about 12 – looks like maybe even 15 open slots yet for companies or large civic groups to fill. It could even be a large family that wants to fill some of these slots,” said Waters.
Kettle Bells at Walmart will ring through 5 p.m. Christmas Eve. Kettle bells can be found outside the store Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Hobby Lobby bells will also be ringing Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last day at Hobby Lobby will be 5 p.m. Dec. 21.
Residents can sign up for a volunteer shift at RegisterToRing.com.