For ten years now Howard and Helen Veldhorst have been ringing the bells for The Salvation Army kettle campaign. Howard, retired from Volrath, and Helen, a retired school teacher and homemaker, say they ring because, “The Salvation Army is a good organization. They come into a situation and they stay until the job gets done.” With the wind howling, standing in wet snow, the Veldhorst’s are two volunteers making a difference in their community.
Part of the holiday tradition, the red kettles have been used for over 100 years and the kettle donations carry The Sheboygan Salvation Army through to the next year. The Salvation Army must make their goal because they receive the majority of their funding from the local Sheboygan community. To date the Salvation’s kettles took in $41,400, approximately 21% of their 2008 goal of $200,000.
The much needed food and toy donations continue but low cash donations is a growing concern to The Salvation Army staff.
“We are confident that the Sheboygan community will come through for us. We are paying attention to the lack of funds because we are half way through our Christmas Campaign and we are much lower than other years,” said Salvation Army’s Executive Director Major Alan Hellstrom.
Volunteer Coordinator Mary Piehl said that, “The dilemma here is that we are now one half way to being done with the Christmas Campaign, we have $9,000 less than last year.”
The red kettles have yielded 21% of The Salvation Army’s goal with cash donations at an all time low of 15% for this time of year.
Campaigns 2008
Christmas Mail Appeals
Goal - $95,000
Received - $16,559
Percentage to Goal - 17%
Christmas Red Kettles
Goal - $200,000
Received -$57,339
Percentage to Goal - 29%
Christmas White MailGoal - $188,000
Received - $9,644
Percentage to Goal - 5%
“It’s not all bad. We have a lot of food and toy donations coming in which is such a good thing. We just need to boost up our monetary donations. With more people coming to us for services, The programs we have, the homeless shelter, the free clinic, and the Housing programs to name a few are vital to stay funded and running efficiently,” said Development Director Heidi Cain. “We have a small skilled staff and a big volunteer roster and we run a tight budget.”
“I won’t say I’m not worried,” said Cain. “But we have to remain optimistic. Families and individuals are depending on us for services. Bell ringing is vital because it generates the money we need.”
Cain said that The Salvation Army is always grateful to the volunteer bell ringers who endure the cold, the private donors, and all the kind people and organizations who are holding food, toy, hat and mitten drives.
Note: Bell ringing will go through December 27th. There is no bell ringing on Sundays, Thanksgiving, or Christmas Day.
Contact information:
Volunteers can sign-up for all the Christmas Programs on-line or they can call The Salvation Army office at 920-458-3723.
Donations can be made on-line at
http://www.sasheboygan.org/ or mailed to: The Salvation Army, PO Box 1207, Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53082-1207
The Salvation Army - Sheboygan’s phone number is: 920.458.3723
Labels: bell ringing, christmas, christmas gift ideas, december, donors, economy, gift giving, goal setting, holiday, how to donate, non profit, red kettles, salvation army
