Local shoppers help provide Christmas
Rockin Rooster & Happy Hen give back during the holiday season
With the holidays here in Polk County, local businesses are finding ways to give back as the year is coming to a close and Christmas reminds all that it is good to help those in need.
Helen Riley, owner of Rockin Rooster & Happy Hen, in past and present knows well the value of giving back. Through monthly donations of a portion of proceeds, to gathering up items to donate at the holidays she’s always on the hunt to help.
This year Riley encouraged regular customers to help her provide Christmas gifts for a family through the Salvation Army. She said her only stipulation was that the donations go to children and families from Cedartown, Rockmart or Aragon.
“I used to give to the Salvation Army when we lived in Smyrna all the time,” Riley said. “I wanted to continue that tradition here. I’m so happy with all the support the store received to provide help this year.”
Shoppers at the store saw their donations matched by
Riley, which included everything on a list for seven children in Cedartown and Rockmart.
“That included three bicycles generously donated by the community,” Riley said.
Her donation to Salvation Army was wrapped up and delivered on Dec. 11.
Those who want to make donations to the Salvation Army during the holiday season can either give outside of a store like Walmart to a bell ringer, or make donations online.
Additionally this year, bell ringers can accept digital donations. The non-profit organization put smart chips and QR codes on their Red Kettle signs across Floyd, Polk and Chattooga counties this holiday season.
Shoppers that are out and about will be able to simply “bump” or scan their phones and donate using Apple or Google pay. The funds will then be distributed to the person’s local Salvation Army based on their billing ZIP code.