Bells are ringing once again at Kane County grocery stores, which means the season of giving has begun

Bells began ringing outside local grocery stores in Kane County a jolly reminder to hopefully incite generosity until Christmas Eve.

Resource development director for the Tri-Cities Salvation Army Steven Hawkins said while donations have been smaller in recent years, he is hopeful for a bounce back this holiday season.

Hawkins said the goal is to collect $195,000 this year. Last year they fell short of the same goal, collecting a total of about $155,000.

Donations made to the collection kettles is used to fund local programming and supplement the food pantry in St. Charles. Hawkins said almost 90% of the funds raised goes to local programming and they take pride in keeping the funds in the community.

There are 18 collection kettle locations across the area.

St. Charles resident and Salvation Army volunteer Jeff Bowgren works at the food pantry and has been donating his time to bell ringing and collecting donations for the last three holiday seasons.

Hawkins said Bowgren is their best bell ringer, and having worked in St. Charles schools for many years, his popularity in the community and kind-hearted nature helps him consistently bring in the most donations.

“He raises the most money,” Hawkins said. “He’s just a very friendly guy.”

Bowgren has been ringing outside of the Jewel-Osco in Batavia, and will be at the same spot from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday until Christmas Eve. He rings his bells so much they literally break, which has happened so many times that he now brings his own tool box with him to make repairs during his shifts.

Bowgren said there isn’t a trick to his methods of collecting, he just tries to greet everyone and make the customers happy. He said what he really loves about ringing the bell is talking to people, and has no plans to stop.

“I just love doing it, that’s all...I’m enjoying it and having a good time out here,” Bowgren said. “I get to make people happy and see the people I really like, and they appreciate it, so I’m going to keep going as long as I can.”

Bowgren said he often gets recognized by former students and others who know him from his time working in the school district. He said he also has a great relationship with the store’s managers, who are very appreciative of what he does and always want him back the next year.

“Oh boy, people are giving a lot here,” Bowgren said. “People are so generous, they go into the store and bring me coffee. Sometimes I get two buckets full of money and I’m always very happy about that.”

The Salvation Army has a food pantry in St. Charles, which Hawkins said has been difficult to maintain in recent years, serving more than 10,000 people last year and seeing even more demand this year.

Hawkins said a late Thanksgiving this year poses a challenge, as it gives them less time to spend ringing than usual, but is hopeful that donations will ramp up after a national trend of smaller collections for the past couple years.

“We’re hoping, with the economy hopefully bouncing back, people are able to give more,” Hawkins said. “The last couple years have been down a little bit, both here and nationally.”

Though Hawkins expressed some concern over the shorter season, Bowgren is confident that they are in for a very generous collection this year.

“I’m starting off very well and I think I’m going to have a good season this year,” Bowgren said.

There is a special tradition among the Salvation Army donation buckets in Kane County, which is finding gold coins left by anonymous donors. Two coins were found last year.

Bowgren has first hand knowledge of the holiday tradition, having found multiple gold coins in his bucket in years past, but said he has never seen the person or persons responsible. The coins are often wrapped in paper currency, likely as a means to avoid its detection.

“Oh boy, I was shocked. I thought ‘Oh my goodness’ I didn’t know what to say,” Bowgren said. “They drop them in and you don’t know until they count it up over there at the pantry.”

Hawkins said gold coins are a great tradition and when volunteers find one it always brings morale up. He said each year they take the coins to an appraiser, sell them and add the proceeds to the collection totals. He said last year’s coins added about $3,000 to their total.

Hawkins said they always have a need for more bell ringers to man the 18 locations, especially during the weekdays. He said they are also in need of food donations this year, as the food pantry has had a tough time keeping up with demand this year.

In addition to the donation kettles, the Salvation Army is also running their Angel Tree program at different locations in Kane County, collecting donations of toys and clothing for kids. Last Christmas the program helped 910 families, giving 5,353 toys and games and over 3,500 items of clothing to 1,638 children.

The Salvation Army also hosts Match Days each year, where local organizations match up to $25,000 of donations collected on specific days. This year, Colonial Café has pledged to match donations on Dec. 14 and the Shodeen Family Foundation will match donations on Dec. 21.

To sign up to volunteer, visit RegisterToRing.com or call Lieutenant Joe Alvarez at 630-377-2769 for assistance with registration. Donations can also be made online at the Salvation Army website.