Salvation Army needs volunteer bell ringers in Conway, Russellville
The Salvation Army in Conway kicked off its Red Kettle campaign Monday when First Security Bank President and CEO Johnny Adams donated $1,000 — now, just $99,000 to go.
Maj. David Robinson, corps officer for The Salvation Army in Conway, said $100,000 is “about one-fourth of our budget for the year. It’s a big chunk.” The donations will allow The Salvation Army Conway Corps to make sure all Christmas needs are met, including Project Angel Tree gifts and food boxes in Faulkner, Perry, Cleburne and Van Buren counties.
Volunteers are needed to be bell ringers, he said, to keep costs down. Members of civic organizations and church and school groups often volunteer for time slots, Robinson said. However, he said, The Salvation Army pays a number of bell ringers every year.
“It also helps people who need a job and are struggling,” he said.
James Spencer of Quitman, kettle coordinator for The Salvation Army Conway Corps, said groups such as the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts do well.
“Boy Scout Troop 112, they do extremely good because it’s Boy Scouts,” he said.
“I always need volunteers; it’s always a need. I can find locations, if they don’t have a location in mind. All of them are wanting to do Kroger on Salem. I’d like to see some Walmart faces,” Spencer said.
“This year, we’re going to try something we’ve never tried before, that The Salvation Army has never tried before,” he said.
A red kettle will be set up at Sonic on Oak Street to test how it works at the drivein restaurant. If the location does well at bringing in money, Spencer said, Sonic co-owner Mark Daniels will let The Salvation Army have bell ringers at other Sonic locations.
Spencer said he would like to be able to fill all of the time slots with volunteers.
Maj. Linda Payton, corps officer in Russellville, agreed with that philosophy.
“One big difference this year is we’re kind of biting the bullet and really trying to completely cover … with volunteers and no employees, which, it’s scary — it’s very frightening,” Payton said. “We look at the empty hours, but our goal this year is to cover all our locations with volunteers.”
Payton said The Salvation Army in Russellville spent about $25,000 last year paying people to man the kettles.
“My goal is $80,000 with all volunteers,” she said. “We’re just trying to build a base this year and get the word out and cover different bases. People are calling and saying, ‘ Oh, yes, we’ve done it in the past,’” she said. “If it gets desperate, I might have to [pay bell ringers], but until then, we’re really going in faith that we’re going to get volunteers and enough of them to cover and get ahead, because I want 100 percent of the money to go to what people are expecting it to go to. That’s my goal.”
The kettle campaign provides about a third of the annual income for the Russellville corps, Payton said.
“The more we receive, the more we can give,” she said.
“The proceeds go to fund Project Angel Tree, food for the holidays and the regular food pantry, and also throughout, especially the winter months, trying to help people with heat and electricity and those important things in life,” Payton said.
For Christmas, The Salvation Army in Russellville has 646 children signed up from Pope, Conway and Yell counties, primarily from the first two.
“We had a mix-up with the vendor, and they lost our order of angels, so we’re still waiting,” Payton said. She said the plan is to get the angel trees up this week. “We’re going to be on a short string to get those out and back.”
The food pantry is bare, Payton said.
“We’re very fortunate that our 300 Thanksgiving boxes, the nonmeat items, are coming from ConAgra employees. They raised the money themselves, and they buy the food and they bring it, and they fill 300 boxes for us. We just add the meat, and they’re ready.”
Helping Halls at Arkansas Tech University will provide the same assistance, but for Christmas boxes, she said.
Robinson said the money raised from the kettle campaign is used to help needy individuals year-round, too.
“We have 75 new families coming in a month just for food,” he said.
The Conway pantry has again depleted its supplies, Robinson said. To donate food, go to 2125 Harkrider St., Suite 12, in Conway, or for more information, call (501) 329-1712. To volunteer as a bell ringer, call and ask for Spencer.
In Russellville, volunteers may call (479) 968-5358. To make a donation of food, go to the office at 1004 Weir Road.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 3270370 or tkeith@arkansas online.com.