The Salvation Army is asking for more volunteer ringers from now until Christmas Eve.
Each year the Salvation Army in Columbus uses both paid ringers and volunteers to ring bells outside of department stores and grocery stores, wishing shoppers a Merry Christmas and collecting the occasional donation. This year several of the paid ringers have called in sick, according to Major Alan Phillips, and more volunteers are needed to cover morning and early afternoon shifts.
“Usually 3-7 (p.m.) is kind of covered,” Phillips said. “The problem is we don’t have many paid ringers left.”
Phillips said the Salvation Army started out with around 20 paid ringers and are now down to five because of sickness. The organization needs volunteers to cover two doors at Walmart in West Point, as well as two entrances at Kroger, one at Hobby Lobby, two at Leigh Mall, and one each at KMart and Belk all in Columbus, Phillips said. The volunteers are not supposed to solicit customers entering the stores.
“Just start ringing and saying, ‘God bless you’ to people,” Phillips said.
Volunteers 18 or older can volunteer on their own, while 16- and 17-year-old volunteers can volunteer with family.
“You can ring one hour, you can ring two hours,” Phillips said. “You can come out with a company or a family and ring all day. You can just divide the shifts up into hours or two hours. Every little bit helps and we are blessed this year that as of two days ago, we were at 490 volunteer hours. All we had last year was 150, so that’s a big increase.”
“We’re trying to get some more as we hit the last stretch,” he added.
The last volunteers will be finished at noon on Christmas Eve, Phillips said.
Phillips also said that so far the Salvation Army in Columbus has raised more money this year than last year.
“We’re doing good,” he said. “We’re probably 11 or 12,000 over last year as of two days ago.”
To volunteer, call Phillips at 662-822-8867.
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