McHenry County Salvation Army aims to raise more than $170,000 before Dec. 23

Next to a Salvation Army red kettle at the Harvard Walmart, Amanda Nielsen, a Harvard resident, was ringing the bell for donations along with her aunt and cousin. Her cousin Sam Schatteman strummed songs on his ukelele as customers dropped change into the bucket on their way out of the store.

Nielsen, who lives with cerebral palsy, has been volunteering as a Salvation Army bell ringer for at least 15 years, her aunt and caregiver Tracy Schatteman said.

Nielsen, who can speak with a speech-generating device, said she volunteers so much to bring more awareness to the Salvation Army.

It takes some time for Nielsen to create a sentence with the device, and “60% to 70% of the time, she’s asking to help or pray for someone,” Schatteman said.

“It’s important to help other people,” she said.

This was already Nielsen’s third time volunteering to ring the bell this year. With volunteer and donation numbers down, people like Nielsen are dearly needed at this time, Salvation Army McHenry County Corps Officer Lt. Pablo Rivera said.

Volunteers have been steady for their other programs, but the organization is in desperate need of more bell-ringing volunteers. Having a bell ringer makes “a huge difference” in the amount that gets donated into the kettles, Rivera said.

“The volunteers that bell-ring is how we bring the money in and we’re very low on that,” he said.

Red kettles and bell ringers are typically at locations like Walmart, Jewel, Farm and Fleet and Walgreens around the county. People can also donate online to the virtual red kettle.

Nielsen immediately wanted to sign up to bell-ring in Harvard when she heard volunteers were needed there, Salvation Army volunteer and community relations manager Barbara McDonel said.

“Her desire to help the Salvation Army is such a driving force for her,” McDonel said. “It warms your heart and it’s just so beautiful that she finds a way to give back.”

Other towns in need of bellringers are Johnsburg, Huntley, Spring Grove, Algonquin and Lake in the Hills, McDonel said.

As of last week, McHenry County’s Salvation Army is at 27% of its $234,000 goal, Rivera said. The last day of taking in donations is Dec. 23. The $234,000 goal is determined by how much it costs to maintain the operation in McHenry County for the year, he said.

The organization helps people within the county with emergency needs like utilities, food, rent assistance and clothing and furniture vouchers.

“Sadly but true, they need money to run,” Rivera said.

All donations given in McHenry County stay local, McDonel said. The organization solely relies on local donations since they do not get government funding or funding from the corporate level.

“They’re helping someone in their community that needs their help,” McDonel said.

Last year, the organization was able to help over 7,700 people with emergency assistance, provide almost 3,000 bags of groceries and give almost 2,000 Christmas gifts in McHenry County with the donations, Rivera said.

“We know everybody needs help, but we need to protect our county and help the people in our county,” McDonel said.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story included an incorrect number of people the McHenry County Salvation Army assisted last year.