Christmas bells

Terry and I rang the bell for Salvation Army this weekend.  We have been doing this since 1997 at an old mixed use mall in town.  This year the Salvation Army has dropped the number of days at that particular mall as the donations have severely declined over the years, just like the mall itself.  So yesterday we were stationed at the larger regional mall, right outside Macy’s Men & Childrens.  The traffic was certainly heavier and the offerings were better too.  At the old mall we would get a few people dropping in coins.  The new location brought many who put in bills.

The Salvation Army does so much more than just their thrift stores.  They have at least two housing complexes here in town, one for elderly; one for women with children.  The Army delivers meals to shut-ins, hands out food and gifts to less fortunate, takes care of people whose homes are burned.  They also help low income people pay their utility bills, especially heating bills in the winter.  The money collected in the buckets during the Christmas season helps pay for all these charities.  It’s a small thing for us to help out by ringing the bell.