%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R 47 0 R ] /Count 3 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 45 0 R /I4 46 0 R /I5 49 0 R /I6 50 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250415102523+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250415102523+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1673 >> stream xW˒+" 6.KvJ(:ќGPHWɣP;E?Rw#iGNk3RW9Vԯp~qЍ픃 J]3A~kiH4@͞ zߩDZ啍B'Ȳ"=ޛ2iYDY$ן8kio!Xg3 @6Bei$IİZd*{VZ9DHzT/Y&;jȠ8 `͸{@Ȓx~%FRuUD̨ΐD/ANAPG/ֹ,%zyRjc2rܻ~Kb%9AbDU4:#R`gW#ҷU$" co#Z aS#]lmĚs1BYMGfx/nࡑ{vKĈ y m}T9Z:,FI[uB]8 *ccSD"mG蚱P!3X-uP"9sx$6(]EY˫JE^ƄHT%>P Tu;wZf104%: Y|{x Hܼ{ ]̚EH^|vU8MFa> ^ 9EE)jRzG*71bXDq(Y**2{'n9<ߢ=Få `YB^U@X^'s(HcRKHnKQ Bk9A}Dr 6(q~Y4yvKM|F5͙ G$b"+pbN?9l3S&aQ Lט[mӪ4ra9ɹBPU\owuF7sTibۑ3 nZiuѻ}Ҩ8gYո@Nj -߫yx/iYULGoUG'!,4eF&]P# <` HyZy*:&7#}Ai:xk[4$wRO /Nn~[|DRI+ hr׏r3&;=YAH yEC;{iQ:nP¸:g?:dæj1GjTͨG97͜;ko˭")y~6Ӵy0aXX`tf|~jŴi˲g|~UYVac8{ٹ7Q!W 8zO endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Annots [ 23 0 R 25 0 R 27 0 R 29 0 R 31 0 R 33 0 R 35 0 R 37 0 R 39 0 R 41 0 R 43 0 R ] /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2477 >> stream xY]8}_ǙWda fxAXmIL@=WNfQL^(:]ru?=Ul"_]?IkF.lܲt-'%- 톱x%ZN?n_L3~)%k*ilE[ǣgݚpm0Ol#ZX&P<ʲ"NU $[E2e53کFkchi,,DhGo.-͓ sZxFcJ%PK:=֋T$ɄS#JNgGJډ\%Yc[---"8|LUbwҹ>;Z1Ӛ #XaF:H;c}L08#Զr0 :4*Iٝ@ӜFd}}C]U!,gu;$+ajpV/QXFrVްB"Le 8[*ZеlO'J{)Z$Qǭȱƒ7u:'E߈^8[4{&cַ;吕-넅+vX!IKP{FNpl'(Zn I[HRmߌ_;ܧ@uf3G_ͩ31mLΏ9f߈ s8ԃO$IH1PZ9Fh>z ZoA&G$!\[VB>0g{)_]?[R4rKAo@y4N!Ka*i9:d Gl!9f<ؕǥ)̵{UE GbGGh¯Z%5Kn@n߁C7b.HLٜ^C)@IjC$0cvjSumEZ)Nx@EFblSS\NA0iAl呓&Fl'ajlp ,tRWCo]U~bKLAu sUŚ\* U9}L,g 3`;)GK9R/?cKP3's<{ΏPd<מ?O(t-U B(傭g\KoA*fOdqg;WP ZefH4f:|Zj._4[)-J  >XdσdC;ܿu^9Rwp\ ]7J]ڤDU ёH>DF԰պɝ6uɿ0;G"I7lh2%8>_%x<{ RzCGrCe% /@4M -m-W|1 zu~XYRw#&CC\R)d_Cb#$0Dð&j//8J{ORM%EkBDpbSCOכ 3p /˨F>(3όaENBdsLCr]9U_B3 u0`dXg}+;iC3s}荄2>nj)D!Cge6V%Nt糱~T~;Z`!_r/KTPԉv뾾;Tꑃ>q+:oxc# %VNIKHp v% MsêٿE+3h@k𬂺VPR?71)ߢ;iIg"fzѰY_X1qTuB FG= DC }hxm+솏h ۢCŇG%ߣ+o hrL|rNIEq endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 24 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 35.0000 709.7900 92.3480 722.0000 ] >> endobj 24 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.wbay.com/content/news/Salvation-Army-kettle-stolen-in-Manitowoc-businesses-rush-to-replace-it-564948702.html) >> endobj 25 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 26 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 160.3640 709.7900 201.0440 722.0000 ] >> endobj 26 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.daily-journal.com/news/local/salvation-army-red-kettle-theft/article_93b97552-0b03-11ea-886e-975578d72465.html) >> endobj 27 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 28 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 247.7240 709.7900 340.4240 722.0000 ] >> endobj 28 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.fox21news.com/top-stories/stolen-salvation-army-red-kettle-in-colorado-springs/) >> endobj 29 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 30 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 402.4520 709.7900 429.1160 722.0000 ] >> endobj 30 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.kltv.com/2019/12/09/tyler-police-arrest-suspects-salvation-army-kettle-theft/) >> endobj 31 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 32 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 475.1360 709.7900 523.8080 722.0000 ] >> endobj 32 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/macomb/2019/12/12/jeffry-claydon-roseville-salvation-army-red-kettle-theft/4410205002/) >> endobj 33 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 34 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 89.6840 695.1380 135.7040 707.3480 ] >> endobj 34 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://fox40.com/2019/12/17/red-kettle-stolen-from-salvation-army-in-modesto/) >> endobj 35 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 36 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 199.7240 695.1380 248.4080 707.3480 ] >> endobj 36 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://cbs4indy.com/2019/12/12/salvation-army-kettle-stolen-from-plainfield-jcpenney/ https://www.theindychannel.com/news/working-for-you/salvation-army-laments-stolen-kettle-in-year-when-donations-are-low) >> endobj 37 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 38 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 301.1120 695.1380 343.1360 707.3480 ] >> endobj 38 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.fox9.com/news/salvation-army-red-kettle-stolen-from-st-paul-cub-foods-suspect-sought) >> endobj 39 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 40 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 387.8240 593.0780 513.1880 605.2880 ] >> endobj 40 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triad/news/2019/11/26/red-kettles-stolen-from-salvation-army) >> endobj 41 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 42 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 571.2680 413.2100 653.9840 425.4200 ] >> endobj 42 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyManitowocCounty/) >> endobj 43 0 obj << /Type /Annot /Subtype /Link /A 44 0 R /Border [0 0 0] /H /I /Rect [ 372.5000 342.6020 411.1760 354.8120 ] >> endobj 44 0 obj << /Type /Action /S /URI /URI (https://www.newfrontierchronicle.org/territorial-commander-fulfills-spokane-teens-birthday-wish/) >> endobj 45 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 47 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 48 0 R >> endobj 48 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 720 >> stream xn0 y 7UImeءA[,y{&GgYj!-9'a =-ݗj3XEp4z ivqĒb ocr p5im'jp w~ -zŝCUa^>,ϢI[zw\n`Aً=| X.*f.9#[C%TM9[ZΊ G4E|ؖқ՚ V_HIBm-Aɝ6TDٌI Zµ(l:,/҉;8Jj,ۺrT:j0L|x9H*V=F˿eo)Pg=:'^VmPjU+u YZ"|1CОxj+0Gd9KP)$ 蝱"fEj7QzK+)JUɍ킏B,SIykd{OIy+j*%, &,Ci(to=3fJ_hнzm ̨Ґh26CMxUZic$GGN2IRalazk=; dlˎ:{5܃?BM}bGd:Kr||QEl2gs|kfّ8gyth~('7a#- endstream endobj 49 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 51 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000490 00000 n 0000000527 00000 n 0000000676 00000 n 0000000779 00000 n 0000002525 00000 n 0000002632 00000 n 0000002740 00000 n 0000002850 00000 n 0000002963 00000 n 0000003079 00000 n 0000003108 00000 n 0000003218 00000 n 0000008793 00000 n 0000009924 00000 n 0000009983 00000 n 0000010042 00000 n 0000010236 00000 n 0000012787 00000 n 0000012844 00000 n 0000012901 00000 n 0000013027 00000 n 0000013199 00000 n 0000013327 00000 n 0000013501 00000 n 0000013629 00000 n 0000013772 00000 n 0000013900 00000 n 0000014041 00000 n 0000014169 00000 n 0000014355 00000 n 0000014482 00000 n 0000014612 00000 n 0000014740 00000 n 0000014998 00000 n 0000015126 00000 n 0000015274 00000 n 0000015402 00000 n 0000015547 00000 n 0000015675 00000 n 0000015781 00000 n 0000015909 00000 n 0000016057 00000 n 0000021632 00000 n 0000022763 00000 n 0000022868 00000 n 0000023661 00000 n 0000029236 00000 n trailer << /Size 51 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 30367 %%EOF No victimless crime: kettle crooks throw a kink in Christmas | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

No victimless crime: kettle crooks throw a kink in Christmas

January 24, 2020
4 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

The Red Kettle Campaign is The Salvation Army’s single biggest fundraiser, so how do you bounce back from a kettle theft—and deter it altogether?

By Jared McKiernan – 

Tim stood outside the Lucky Supermarket at the Village Oaks Shopping Center in Martinez, California, donning a red apron, bell in hand, raising money for The Salvation Army. It was Nov. 23, 2019, the week before Thanksgiving, and the Red Kettle Campaign had just gotten underway. 

Patrons dropped cash and coins in the kettle and Tim thanked each of them as they came and went from their shopping excursions. After a few hours, another volunteer approached Tim and told him his shift was done. 

“I’ll take it from here.”

So Tim untied his apron and handed over the kettle, which had collected some $400, and the other volunteer loaded it up and drove off, presumably to count and process the donations. It was a routine handoff.

Or so Tim thought. 

What he didn’t know: that “fellow volunteer” had just pulled off a scam. And just like that, the kettle and all of the donations inside were gone.

Three days later, at the Hobby Lobby in Concord, 10 minutes away, two men ambushed a bellringer outside the store, throwing water in her face as a diversion and making off with the kettle on bicycles. 

“In my 30 years as a Salvation Army officer, I’d never had one stolen,” said Major Gwyn Jones, Concord Corps Officer. “Then we have two kettles taken in a span of three days.”

On Dec. 11, the bandits struck again in Concord, marking the third kettle theft in Contra Costa County for 2019. 

While the East Bay was hit particularly hard, it wasn’t the only place where kettles were targeted. A slew of Salvation Army locations across the country made an appearance on the crime blotter for the same reason: Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Bradley, Illinois; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Tyler, Texas; Roseville, Michigan; Modesto, California; Plainfield, Indiana; St. Paul, Minnesota—the list goes on.

With kettles out in full force, so too are kettle crooks. Sometimes, it’s a simple, straightforward swiping. Other times, it’s a more sophisticated, calculated heist, such as in Martinez.

The money inside kettles, of course, is just the tip of the iceberg. A stolen kettle creates a serious issue, as perpetrators could pose as The Salvation Army and collect from unwitting passersby, eroding the trust of loyal supporters. It was a legitimate concern in Greater Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where thieves recently snatched six empty kettles, aprons and bells.

And though it’s hard to make sense of why someone would steal money collected on behalf of a charitable organization, it’s unfortunately a real possibility every year—putting a damper on an otherwise jolly season.

So what happens when a kettle gets stolen?

While each individual locality has some autonomy on how to handle theft, typically, the local corps will file a police report, notify the divisional business secretary, and alert the local media, whose coverage of the stolen kettle may well spark an outpouring of generosity from the public.

Case in point: Manitowoc. Just an hour after The Salvation Army posted a story about the theft on its Facebook page, the community stepped up in a big way. Jerry Duggan and Becky Tomchek, two local small business owners, immediately offered to donate the money needed to replace the kettle and stand. Others quickly followed suit, asking how they too could help.

As one of the donors put it, “there’s still good in the world.” And it’s true. A theft also poses a unique opportunity to raise awareness of what The Salvation Army’s collectively up against.

So how do you stop kettle theft, or at the very least, deter it?

“The safety of the bellringer always comes first,” said Major Harold Laubach, Modesto (California) Corps Officer. “So we do everything humanly possible to prevent this from happening. We need to take every precaution we can.”

For starters, securing the physical kettle to the stand with a sturdy padlock is an obvious measure. If a criminal can’t pry the kettle from the stand, they have no option but to try to make a break for it with the entire unit. Though it’s bulky and conspicuous, Laubach said it can still happen, albeit far less frequently.

According to Kathy Lovin, public affairs and communications manager for The Salvation Army USA Western Territory, the most important preventative measure is always proper bellringer training. One common sense approach, she said, is to ensure the kettle is never more than an arm’s length away from the bellringer.

Proper training also means establishing strong relationships with store employees, so that if a bellringer has to take a break, they bring the kettle stand inside the store (if they allow it) and have the store employee keep an eye on it so that it never goes “unattended.” 

“That always helps,” Laubach said. “In the [Modesto theft], the store employees saw it happening and they ran outside to try and stop them. They got away, but I still think those relationships are very beneficial.”

Ultimately, you can never fully eliminate that risk. But keeping criminals honest should keep the focus of the Red Kettle Campaign where it belongs: on raising money to do the most good for those who need it most.

“We all know, biblically, you can’t stop evil all of the time,” Laubach said. “That’s just the way it is. Obviously, we pray for the success of our kettles, we pray for the safety of our bellringers, and we pray for our donors.”

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like