The Salvation Army hands out over 300 bags of presents
Hot Springs Salvation Army Captain Tracy Brinlee said Saturday’s Angel Tree distribution went “very smooth,” with over 300 presents distributed.
The event took place at Arkansas Beverage Sales Inc. from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
“We gave out 367 presents. And when I mean presents, I mean a bag of presents. We probably gave out over 200 bikes. We served 150 families. We gave out 150 turkeys and food bags, and each adult and child got a Bible,” she said. “The Spanish-speaking population got a Spanish Bible for adult and child.”
Saturday’s event wasn’t the only recent success, according to Captain Bryan Brinlee. With 21 locations in Garland County and 5,000 hours of bell ringing, this year’s Red Kettle Campaign surpassed last year’s donations and exceeded this year’s donation goal.
“Last year, we raised $110,000. This year, our goal was to raise $118,000. Right now, currently, we’re pacing like $125,000 maybe $130,000. People have been so, so giving,” Bryan Brinlee said.
Thursday is “our last day to ring the bells. And so if anybody that walks by the bucket will give a little extra, we’re going to be able to see some incredible things this year coming up,” he said.
“Kettle money that we raised, stays right here in this community,” Bryan Brinlee said. “So that we’re able to give out food bags … give out groceries, and then help with rent and utility assistance, to keep people in their house.”
Funds raised during the campaign also go directly to Pathway of Hope Initiative, he said.
“The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope initiative provides individualized services to families with children who desire to take action to break the cycle of crisis and vulnerability that repeats generation after generation. It seeks to address the root causes of poverty,” according to its website.
“What we would like to do is to prevent people from becoming homeless,” Bryan Brinlee said. “Having people that are homeless come up with a plan to get them back into affordable housing … to get their jobs … to get (their) driver’s license back. That kind of stuff.
“We work very extensively with people in poverty, helping them make a plan for their life, whatever that may look like And helping them get out of poverty. And so that money, that extra money that we made in kettles this year, even furthers the work that we’re doing right now. So next year, we’ll be able to do more than what we did this year, simply because we made our goal this year, and people were so giving. So it makes a huge difference.”
While The Salvation Army has a lot of volunteers, Bryan Brinlee said they had hired bell ringers this year.
“A lot of the people that are homeless come ring bells for us, and they make $12 an hour. So this has allowed many of them to have a job and to get a paycheck for the first time in years. A lot of them have been able to pay off
fines, have been able to come in and work with us about getting their driver’s license back, or it’s doing things to put their lives back in order,” he said.
“We’re gonna end up spending $32,000 to bell ringers. I am very very proud of it, because that’s our ministry. A lot of them have shown up in church. Our church has just been growing in leaps and bounds, because these bell ringers have been coming to church. So that $32,000 helps people that don’t have a job and that are homeless, and secures money to get their life back together,” Bryan Brinlee said.
“So after spending $32,000 on bell ringers, $100,000 will end up going right into the old bank accounts to help the social services and it’s absolutely incredible,” he said.
The Brinlees said they want to invite anyone who would like to attend Sunday worship service at 109 Crescent Ave. Traditional Sunday school meets at 10 a.m. and worship service starts at 11 a.m.
“We’re always looking for volunteers to help us with church,” Bryan Brinlee said. “Ministry is our number one goal, not actually money. And if we do that, God will bless us with money, and he had.”