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Seasonal partnership is building a bridge between the Boise Salvation Army and Interfaith Sanctuary.
The Boise (Idaho) Salvation Army is partnering with local homeless shelter Interfaith Sanctuary to hire some of its guests as bellringers during the annual Red Kettle Campaign, which supports The Salvation Army’s services and programs in Idaho’s Ada County throughout the year.
The partnership, however, is about more than fundraising for The Salvation Army and income for the shelter guests; it’s about meeting people where they are, hearing their stories and empowering them.
In 2022, Major Thomas Stambaugh, Boise Corps Officer and Southern Idaho Coordinator, had become acquainted with Jodi Peterson-Stigers, Executive Director at Interfaith Sanctuary. One day, Peterson-Stigers mentioned it would be great to find some seasonal or part-time work for the shelter guests.
When the holiday season began, Stambaugh remembered that conversation as he considered how The Salvation Army would get enough bellringers for its red kettles. They had been using a day laborer service, but it was costly. He decided to give Peterson-Stigers a call.
“We do have guests that that’s a perfect opportunity for them to get some supplemental income,” Peterson-Stigers said. “It’s just a wonderful partnership—we intersect in so many ways. It’s a really positive thing.”
She said Interfaith is always looking to make connections with community members to increase their understanding and consideration for the people they label “homeless.” Bellringing provides an opportunity for that to happen.
“It’s these relationships where that connection really happens,” she said. “And then we find a lot more people advocating and fighting for our guests, because they know them, and they feel really good about how they know them. So it’s a powerful ripple that moves out into the community.”
Stambaugh and other Salvation Army staff went to the shelter and interviewed the interested guests. The applicants provided the necessary documents and passed background checks—The Salvation Army’s normal seasonal hiring process.
This year, The Salvation Army reached out to Peterson-Stigers at the end of October, which resulted in hiring six bellringers. Stambaugh said they share The Salvation Army’s mission with them at the orientation, noting the money they raise helps meet needs within the community.
And the need in the Boise area is growing, Stambaugh said, adding many working families—even those with two incomes—are struggling to meet the rising cost of living. For single people, it’s especially difficult. A report from GoBankingRates revealed that a single person needs to earn over $58,000 a year to live in Idaho and pay for all major monthly costs.
Stambaugh referred to the United Way’s Alice Report, which noted the growing number of working families and individuals across Idaho no longer able to afford basic necessities. The increasing need underscores the importance of the Red Kettle Campaign.
Stambaugh said hiring bellringers from the shelter helps improve The Salvation Army’s net proceeds from the kettles, since they are able to save money by hiring internally instead of using a third-party service.
The partnership provides the bellringers some income and, perhaps, some hope.
“A lot of these guys in the shelter are situationally homeless, either by a loss of a spouse, loss of an income, or loss of a vehicle,” Stambaugh said. “They end up in a shelter. They can’t get out of town, so they’re trying to raise a few dollars to get the car repaired, so they can leave town or get on with their life.”
Carl Heiser is one of the Interfaith bellringers. A Christian committed to following where God leads him, Heiser said he enjoys talking with people and learning about their lives. He rang last year, and returned this year for a second season.
“It’s special for me to do this—I love it,” he said. “It’s a good thing, ringing the bell and actually making money. I’m not broke. I’ve got money in my pocket.”
Stambaugh said Salvation Army staff, particularly Boise Assistant Corps Officer Captain Taurean Ortiz, get to know the bellringers during car rides to kettle sites and back to the shelter.
“As we get to talk to them, it really gives us a chance to bond with our bellringers and they feel a little better and more connected to us because we’re more available as officers [pastors] to them,” he said.
Ortiz handles much of the transportation for the Interfaith bellringers. He’s building relationships with the men, taking the time to hear their stories, to pray with them and give them hope for the future.
“I love being able to help support people and lift them up,” he said. “They’re just at a low place in their life…So the first barrier to get past is their current circumstance, because the current circumstance doesn’t define where they will end up or where they are going.
“Knowing there’s somebody willing to listen, to give them sound advice, is what I believe is a reason why they continue to want to come and ring for us,” Ortiz said. “It’s not just that I’m hiring them and sticking them out at a kettle stand…When you really get to hear the stories of these bellringers—they’re not just people that are there ringing the bells to raise money for us, but they become the hands and the feet and the face of what it means to be Salvationist trying to make a difference in the world.”
The partnership has the potential to impact the bellringers beyond their finances. Ortiz has picked up some of the men on Sunday so they can attend church at the Boise Corps. Stambaugh hopes to continue to build this bridge between Interfaith Sanctuary and The Salvation Army.
“The bellringers love actually being part of our overall mission,” Stambaugh said. “They know that by raising the dollars that it helps The Salvation Army help other people, and so they feel connected to our mission.”
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