Salvation Army bell ringers drive local goodwill
The Salvation Army’s red kettles and bells have popped up around Paso Robles as the 150-year-old organization rings for the message of giving locally to meet the needs of those without. The Salvation Army prides itself on delivering 82 cents of every dollar to program services, and ask anyone who has received help in a time of need, you will find a great deal of gratitude.
Whether it is a check written to cover a portion of a month’s rent, or a few meals, or assistance to keep the power on through a cold December, the bells of The Salvation Army ring true.
In Paso Robles, Beth Quaintance serves as SLO County Service Extension Rep/EDS Coordinator for Salvation Army and has rung the bell loudly over several weeks to announce the need for bell ringers for the local locations of the red kettles.
The very first kettle was set out by Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee in 1891.
During the holiday season, he resolved to provide dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken.
He placed a pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.” He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.
Six years after, the kettle idea spread from the west coast to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy, and today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists more than four-and-a-half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.
You might never know your neighbor called Salvation Army for help, but you can be sure that more lights are on, and more bellies are full because of the good that goes into those red kettles during the winter season.
Whether you rang the bell, or dropped a bill into the kettle, you were a part of making someone’s life a little brighter.
There are variety of Paso Robles locations for bell ringers this December, and three of the most common are:
American Mattress
2255 Theatre Drive
Albertson’s
189 Niblick Road
Walmart
180 Niblick Road
