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At Christmas, kettles allow The Salvation Army to personally interact with the people who donate to support community programs. This year we wanted to hear why they are so inclined to give, so we went out to a few Salvation Army red kettle stands and asked them. Watch this video to hear some of the many reasons people give.
Below is a transcript of the video, edited for readability.
Person 1: When I hear the bell and I see the kettle, it’s Christmas.
Alicia: We’re here today at a red kettle asking people for their Salvation Army stories and what inspires them to give.
Person 2: My stepfather, who was in the Second World War, he drove the trucks to the front where they were all under fire. The people there that greeted him were The Salvation Army. They always had a cup of tea, and they had a donut for him. And he said it happened to him over and over and over again.
Person 3: I was not a well-to-do kid, and I got my first piano at a Salvation Army store and was able to write music and got published. And so I see the benefits of what Salvation Army can do for everybody.
Person 4: We used to go to the Rose Parade and see The Salvation Army marching, and I trusted that whatever is given to The Salvation Army is going for a good cause.
Person 5: As an active duty Marine throughout the world, I’ve always seen The Salvation Army. And for me, that was something that was comforting, especially when you’re in a far-off land somewhere to know that a piece of home is always there and always there to support.
Person 6: I was raised poor. I had to go to The Salvation Army to get clothes. So I give back.
Person 7: In the very early seventies, I used to work at a summer camp that Salvation Army had in Melbourne Canyon, and I worked there for three years, and it was wonderful.
Person 8: I’m from New Orleans and there are summer camps, and I knew that other people had already donated, so I could go to camp, and hopefully I’m doing that for somebody else.
Person 9: I’m a career Air Force officer. Serving around the world, I saw The Salvation Army help people of all different ages and all different backgrounds.
Person 10: You mean a great deal to me. In the town square, Christmas time, The Salvation Army was always down there with the band with the big drum and the cymbals, and I used to love it. I used to go down there and they would be singing carols.
Person 11: Well, I’ve heard so many good things about The Salvation Army over the years, and no one is turned away.
Person 12: I really enjoy seeing the red buckets and hearing the bells around Christmas time and being reminded that it’s a time of giving and trying to, in small doses, teach that to the next generation.
Captain Sean Kelsey: Thank you so much to our donors that come by and put some change in the kettle. You’re saying yes to supporting those in our community through the programs of The Salvation Army. Again, thank you so much and have a Merry Christmas.
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