THE SALVATION ARMY OF SAVANNAH CALLS FOR VOLUNTEER BELL RINGERS THIS RED KETTLE SEASON

SAVANNAH, GA – December 10, 2021 – The Salvation Army of Savannah (TSA) is in need of volunteers to ring the kettles at partner locations during the holiday season for the annual Red Kettle Campaign to ensure they can continue to bring hope to those in need in our community this holiday season and beyond.

The Red Kettle Campaign is the best way for the community to get involved with The Salvation Army’s mission. Without this support, The Salvation Army could not provide desperately needed food and lodging to people in need in our region year-round. Volunteers are encouraged to ring at Belk, Kroger on Mall Blvd. and Leopold’s on Broughton.

One of the best ways to help during the Red Kettle Campaign is to sign up as a group for a week of volunteering. Volunteer shifts are 8 hours a day with hours from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Saturday (6 days). There are plenty of volunteer opportunities for groups to take a minimum of two hours of kettle ringing and only a few weeks to accomplish this momentous goal. While volunteering, businesses can wear their uniforms or company logo and can get free promotion just by ringing a bell. Businesses or individuals can bring their friends and family out to support a great cause.

The concept of the Red Kettle Campaign began in 1891 when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was troubled by how many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken but did not know how to fund the project. As he pondered, he remembered his sailor days in England where there was a large, iron kettle that passersby tossed a coin or two into to help the poor. The following day Captain McFee placed a similar pot on the street with a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.” He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas. Today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists more than four-and-a-half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. Everywhere, public contributions to The Salvation Army kettles enable the organization to continue its year-round efforts at helping those who would otherwise be forgotten.

Flexible volunteer opportunities are available for scheduling at www.registertoring.com or contact Special Events Coordinator Jessica Battista at Jessica.Battista@uss.salvationarmy.org or the Volunteer Coordinator Stacey Magoon at Stacey.magoon@uss.salvationarmy.org.

Every donation provides help and hope to those in need, and all gifts stay within the greater Savannah community. The public will have an opportunity to donate directly to the famous red kettles around the region during the holiday season or via the online donation platform at www.RedKettleSAV21.givesmart.com  or by texting “RedKettleSAV” to 76278. Donations are also welcomed throughout the year via the organization’s website at www.salvationarmygeorgia.org/savannah/ or by calling 912-651-7420.

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For media inquiries and interviews, please contact Lesley Francis at lesley@lesleyfrancispr.com or 912-429-3950, or Kristyn Fielding at kristyn@lesleyfrancispr.com or 229-393-6457.

 About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood