Romaine McGraw didn’t miss a beat with her bell ringing Saturday when she explained why she took time Saturday to help with the Bradford Salvation Army’s Red Kettle 2018 campaign.
“I told (Salvation Army officials) that I wanted to give back, not take all the time,” McGraw said while ringing a bell at the Red Kettle in Tops Friendly Market in downtown Bradford.
McGraw had this message she wanted to share this Christmas season: “God is good.”
McGraw and other volunteer bell ringers were part of the “soft opening” for the Red Kettle campaign Saturday at Tops as well as Big Lots at the Bradford Mall.
Capt. David Means of the Bradford Salvation Army said the Red Kettle campaign will continue on today at several locations and be in full force Friday throughout the community, as is the case in many communities across the nation. He said volunteers are needed to provide help at the kettles for any amount of time they can provide.
“We don’t start at Walmart until after Thanksgiving, so on Black Friday all of our stands will be up,” Means said. “Any individuals, groups or friends who want to volunteer can call here at the Salvation Army. We also have on our Facebook page a link to our kettle schedule.
“People can see where the holes are (in the schedule) and where others are already put on the schedule,” he continued. “The link on our Facebook page will help those who want to look at it ahead of time. But if they just want to call, we can walk them through that, as well.”
In addition to Tops in town, he said other locations for the kettles are at Save A Lot” in addition to Walmart and Big Lots in the Foster Township area. He said volunteers are needed between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, up through Christmas.
Means said a multitude of volunteers will enable the Salvation Army to reach its kettle goal of $35,000.
“But our goal for our entire season is $115,000,” he added. “Between the months of November and December, we have three different sources of donations. We have the Red Kettles that are around town and we also have our mail appeal which is letters that go out to people. And then we have our general donations from people who stop by the Salvation Army and make a donation here. All of those combine together” to meet the overall goal.
Means said the funds help the Salvation Army run its clothing closet, food pantry, youth programs and camp programs for youth, among other services.
On another note, Means said he and his wife, Kristen, are approaching their second anniversary at the end of January for serving the Bradford community.
For more information on volunteering or donating, call the Salvation Army at 368-7012, or mail donations to the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 314, Bradford, Pa. 16701.
