Listen to this article
Set one up and start ringing your bell today
by Theresa Dulcich –
This holiday season, choose to make a difference—when you sponsor a Salvation Army online red kettle, your efforts will benefits others in your community who are in need.
We are in the midst of an economic crisis. Recent events draw frequent comparison to the Great Depression of the 1930s. Most of us worry about our investments or the value of real estate or our retirement funds. But for many, a simple meal and a warm and safe place to sleep are the biggest concerns. Did you know Long Beach, Calif., has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the nation? Don’t let yourself become isolated and removed from the needs of those around you. Now more than ever—this Christmas more than ever—people will need the help that is provided with funds raised through the Army’s Red Kettle program.
You can be a part of kettle fundraising either by volunteering to work at a kettle in your community or by participating in the Army’s Online Red Kettle program. The Online Red Kettle program is a simple but powerful way of participating in a campaign that has been a tradition since the late 1800s.
At www.onlineredkettle.org you will find easy step-by-step instructions for creating an online red kettle and inviting your friends, family, and colleagues to make a donation. Challenge yourself—set a goal for your kettle and be the one to make the first donation! Individual kettles can join together to form team kettles. Use a little competitive spirit to motivate your office, department, club or other group. Create a kettle to honor a friend or loved one, someone in the service or even a family pet. The online red kettle tools will allow you to personalize your kettle with photographs and text. You can even place a “widget” on your Facebook page that will link to your online red kettle!
You may want to add a quote from someone who has already set up a kettle as to how easy and fun it is…or from a particularly successful online bell ringer from last year.
While the need exists all year long, it’s especially heartbreaking during the time when much of the world celebrates the birth of Christ. Take stock; consider that despite all that has happened, you are fortunate in many ways. Now more than ever even a modest effort on your part will make a difference to those whose needs are so great this year, this Christmas.
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