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December 11, 2020

From left to right, Yvonne, Brad, and Sierra Semel, all McHenry County volunteers.
Photo submitted.
From left to right, Yvonne, Brad, and Sierra Semel, all McHenry County volunteers.

Features, News • December 11, 2020

A critical need for volunteer bell ringers

By

MCHENRY COUNTY – The length of a Hallmark Christmas movie is about two hours. Two hours is the same length of time for ringing a bell as a Salvation Army of McHenry County volunteer.  A good Hallmark Christmas movie warms the heart and maybe tugs at the emotions. A good experience as a volunteer bell ringer for the Salvation Army brings joy to many residents and provides food and services for families in need.

Watching a Christmas Hallmark movie or volunteer bell ringing are both good ways to spend your time between now and Christmas. While you may record the Hallmark movie for a later viewing, the opportunities to help your neighbors are limited.

The Salvation Army of McHenry County is in great need for more bell ringers through Christmas Eve.  Bell ringing is the Salvation Army’s biggest source of income and is an opportunity to give back to McHenry County, get involved in the holiday season, and have fun.

You can say this is a critical time for the Salvation Army of McHenry County.  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected so many lives in McHenry County.  Unfortunately, the biggest Red Kettle fundraising day, the Firefighter Challenge, was cancelled. Extreme caution is cited as the reason but this doesn’t make it any less desperate to make up more than $20,000 that was raised in last year’s Challenge.

Funds raised locally, stay local and support youth, adult, and senior programming.  The money dropped into the red kettles in Huntley at Walmart and Jewel and dozens of other places throughout McHenry County  also  helps emergency services and homeless prevention year-round.

Major Barbara Owen, executive director of The Salvation Army of McHenry County, knows that in 2019, the Salvation Army provided more than 7,000 gifts to over 800 local children through the Christmas Toyland Shop and Angel Tree program.  Support that came from the bell ringing program raised more than $200,000 in the red kettles last year.  Owen believes firmly that the generosity of time from volunteers and donations from the community made it possible to fund free community Thanksgiving dinners, toys for children in need, and more than 300 Christmas ham dinners for families in need.

Two hours as a Salvation Army volunteer bell ringer is all you’re asked and of course for safety purposes, you’ll wear a mask and disinfect all bells and badges and keep your bell ringing six feet from the kettle.

You may go to www.registertoring.comto register or call (815) 455-2769 for more information. Residents can also help by donating to the Army’s virtual kettle. Residents just need to go to salarmycl.org/kettle to donate. Donors may select the fire department they would like to donate on behalf of for the holiday season. Just write the name of the department in the comments section of the donor page.