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Health & Fitness

THE BELLS ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO RING THEM!

Friends of Southern New London County, we of The Salvation Army would like to come before you with a special request, and that is a request for some special people to be volunteered Bell Ringers during the 2013 Kettle Season.

You are no doubt familiar with The Salvation Army's Red Kettles Campaign during The Christmas Season.  The Kettles and the bell ringers standing next to them have come to be as symbolic during The Christmas Seasons as the Christmas trees themselves.  In the history of this event, we have found that the majority of the Bell Ringers understood why they were out there with the Bells, and that purpose of course is to help raise the funding that allows for The Salvation Army to continue to do what it does--be on the front line of helping those in need.  On the other side of the coin, are the givers.  Those who go into and out of the stores, who will stop for a few seconds of their lives as they are thinking of others, and provide the very much needed funds The Salvation Army uses to accomplish its mission. This is an exchange that is done many times during each hour.  

While a good portion of the money raised during the Christmas season is used to help get the Salvation Army through its massive Thanksgiving and Christmas outpouring of help, the money that is raised at this annual function assist with the cost of some substantial activities which The Salvation Army of  New London is involved with every single week of every single year.  Amongst some of the items that these kettles covers, but certainly is not limited to would be the giving out of at least 2,500 to 3,000 lbs of food to families and individuals a week.  When fundings are available, we are also heavily involved with assisting with rents and utility bills for families whose main providers have jobs, but still can not stretch the pay checks to meet the basic monthly needs.  Our building also provides a place where weekly youths programs are held for the youths in our community, that we do not charge the youths or their parents for. One of our biggest provision, and perhaps most expensive program in being the nature of the beast that it is, is our Emergency Disaster Services.  This is a program that provides for an on the spot food canteen, that also serves as a 'rehab/console' for first responders.   The list can continue, but we are sure you get the point by now.

Here comes the reason in which we are pleading for volunteered Bell Ringers...even though it is only September.  It is to give us time to stir up enough interest of enough people, that would be willing to help ring those bells, for the people we aim to help.  The old coined phrase, "You have to spend money, to make money' certainly is a true saying.  However, in a charitable organization such as ours, it can also be a somewhat detrimental thing. While it is true that we do hire people to ring bells for us, (and more then likely will do so again this season), the fact remains that the hiring and paying of those employees can make a substantial cut into what the purpose of raising the funds is for to begin with.  Combine this with the unforeseen events at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013, that also cut into our expenses.  While last year's Kettle raising was satisfactory, the results was only enough to get us into early Spring. Our efforts during Hurricane Sandy and during the blizzards back in February, and many other early part of this year's incidents were serious funds drainers.  

With all of this in mind, we are earnestly reaching out to you, and we are asking you for you to have a willingness to be a volunteered Bell Ringer sometime during our Kettle Season this year.  The season will start on November 15th, and will run until December 24th, Mondays through Saturdays.  Our hours will be between 9 am and 9 pm, however it will be up to you as to what hours you may wish to volunteer.  We would like to suggest whole families doing this as a unit.  This will teach the little ones, (age appropriate,  of course), about volunteerism, and what it means to give back to the community.  Another suggestion would be if you are of a competitive spirit, that perhaps there could be one family competeting against another family, (neighbors perhaps) at 2 separate Kettles during a day, and the winners will get a plaque.  The Salvation Army across the nation have also seen business competitions with these things--IE: Lawyers vs Lawyers, (especially if the lawyers actually faced each other in court!), or Doctors vs Nurses, or even Restaurants staffs vs other Restaurants staffs.  In other words, there are so many ways that this can be done by you, and it would be beneficial for you as well, since you will be giving back to the community!  If you are able to do this for multiple days, that would be even better.  (Just know that if you can volunteer for multiple days, we have to do a background check as per Federal Laws.)   We need you for this.  We really, really need you for this!  

If you are in agreement that you can volunteer to help us with this year's Kettle's Season--can you please, please contact me, (Captain Jose Borrero, Salvation Army of New London's Commanding Officer) at my office phone which is (860) 443-6409.  Or if you wish to contact me by email at jose.borrero@use.salvationarmy.org  I am looking forward to meeting with all of you!

As always you are invited and encouraged to follow us on Facebook at The Salvation Army-New London, CT

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