TOLEDO, Ohio — The Salvation Army is in desperate need of volunteer bell ringers this year.
They need help starting the day after Thanksgiving. There was a significant drop-off of volunteers last year because of COVID-19 health restrictions and it hasn’t gotten any better so far this year.
The biggest concern right now is that the Salvation Army has 3,500 households that have applied for Christmas assistance compared to 2,300 families last year.
"We have 1,200 more households needing help this year. If we can’t get workers at the kettle we can’t raise the money," said Major Tom Duperree, area commander with the Salvation Army. "And if we can’t raise the money, boy, aren’t we going to be in a pickle to help those families that need it."
If you can donate your time at the red kettle this year, you can sign up at RegisterToRing.com
You can also sign up to be "virtual ringer." This lets you create a virtual kettle from the comfort of your couch and share it on social media so your friends and family can give online. Visit RegisterToRing.com and pick the "virtual" category. You'll then enter your city, state, or ZIP Code to partner with your local Salvation Army. That way, any funds raised will help support the people in your community.