LIHUE — Wanted: Volunteers. Must be happy and of Christmas cheer, willing to greet people with a smile, and able to ring a bell for several consecutive hours. Benefits: You will be raising money for the Salvation Army of Kauai
LIHUE — Wanted: Volunteers. Must be happy and of Christmas cheer, willing to greet people with a smile, and able to ring a bell for several consecutive hours.
Benefits: You will be raising money for the Salvation Army of Kauai at a time when it most needs your help.
When available: Now.
“We really need more volunteers,” said Lt. Elizabeth Gross, Lihue Corps officer and Kauai County coordinator for Salvation Army.
And that’s because donations to those famous red kettles are down this holiday season.
Gross said the budget for the Lihue area is $45,900, and contributions are running about $10,000 behind where they were projected to be by this time. Donations to the red kettles in the Hanapepe area are also down.
She’s hoping a last-minute campaign to raise awareness and increasing the number of bell ringers will spark a spirited response to the fundraiser that assists those who most need help.
The Red Kettle program is designed to put money back into the community year-round, not just during the holidays.
“We at The Salvation Army of Kauai need your help,” Gross wrote.
The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division on Wednesday announced a final push for Angel Tree gifts and Red Kettle donations, as well as a need for volunteer support.
“We urge island residents and communities to step up and support our statewide Angel Trees and Red Kettles with heartfelt donations to help sustain key social service programs,” said Major John Chamness, Divisional Leader for The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division.
Last year, more than 82,000 toys for keiki and household items for seniors were donated through the Angel Tree program in Hawaii. As of Monday, about 7,700 toys and gifts were still needed at locations statewide to fill the outstanding gift requests.
Several Kauai community groups — Boy Scouts, Rotary, Zonta — have provided members to ring bells. But more are needed and time is running short, as there are just eight bell-ringing days left before Christmas.
Salvation Army hired some bell ringers early in the season. While it’s too late to add paid staff, volunteers are welcome to take shifts of a few hours in front of stores including Times, Longs, Kmart, Walmart, Cost-U-Less, and Safeway.
“We need more volunteers to stand at the kettle, we need more money given in the red kettles and we honestly need the people who are able to write some big checks because your dollar goes so far with The Salvation Army,” Gross wrote.
In the Lihue community, through The Salvation Army, kettle dollars go to a feeding program for homeless, seniors and underserved families. The Salvation Army soup kitchens serve nearly 1,000 meals per month in Lihue.
Kettle donations also go to camps for children, church and youth programs, social services, emergency disaster services, the annual Thanksgiving luncheon and to make sure that every child who comes to Salvation Army for assistance gets a toy for Christmas.
Salvation Army of Kauai has one of the highest percentages of donations — 96 percent — go back into the community “to do the most good for your friends and family and to those less fortunate who need our kokua,” Gross said.
“We need to take care of our ohana and to keep Kauai a place where people still smile at strangers,” she added.
To volunteer, contact Gross at Elizabeth.gross@usw.salvationarmy.org, (530) 591-7462 or 245-2571.
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Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
