In 1898, the New York World hailed The Salvation Army kettles as ‘the newest and most novel device for collecting money.” The Newspaper also observed, “There is a man in charge to see that contributions are not stolen.” That year the kettle effort in Boston and other locations nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy. In 1897, McIntyre prepared his Christmas plans for Boston around the kettle, but his fellow officers refused to cooperate for fear of “making spectacles of themselves.” McIntyre took matters into his own hands and along with his wife and his sister, set up three kettles at the Washington Street thoroughfare in the heart of the city. Lewis, were transferred to the East and took the idea of the Christmas kettle with them. Shortly afterward, two young Salvation Army officers who had been instrumental in the original use of the kettle, William A. That year, The Sacramento Bee carried a description of the Army’s Christmas activities and mentioned the contributions to street corner kettles. Evolution of Christmas Kettlesīy Christmas, 1895, the kettle was used by 30 Salvation Army Corps in various locations on the West Coast.
Thus, Captain Joseph McFee launched a tradition that has spread not only throughout the United States but throughout the world. In addition, a brass urn was placed on a stand in the waiting room for the same purpose. No time was lost in securing the pot and placing it in a conspicuous position so that it could be seen by all those going to and from the ferry boats. On the next morning, he secured permission from the authorities to place a similar pot at the Oakland ferry landing, at the foot of Market Street. On the Stage Landing, he saw a large pot, called “Simpson’s Pot” into which charitable donations were thrown by passers-by. Suddenly, his thoughts went back to his days as a sailor in Liverpool, England. But how would he pay for the food?Īs he went about his daily tasks, the question stayed in his mind.
#Salvation army bell ringer free#
In December of 1891, a Salvation Army Captain in San Francisco had resolved, to provide a free Christmas dinner to the area’s poor. Volunteers interested in ringing a bell, setting up a special group, or competitions can sign-up by visiting or contact Amie Holman. In 2021, The Salvation Army Hampton Roads Area Command dispatch kettles on the first Friday in November. Volunteers are the difference between an empty kettle and one that raises about $30 per hour – enough to provide a family with two bags of groceries or shelter to an individual for a night. The bell-ringing season starts each November and runs through Christmas Eve when the red kettles are packed away for the season.
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