Joliet Salvation Army hopes Red Kettles fill up to reach $125,000 goal

Will County — The holiday season has arrived and along with Christmas trees and colored lights, a hallmark of the season is the arrival of the Salvation Army’s battalion of bell ringers and red kettles outside neighborhood stores.

The Salvation Army Corps in Joliet, which serves the Will County area, kicked off its campaign early this year and is still looking for volunteers.

Locally, the Joliet Corps is hoping to raise $125,000 this year with the Red Kettle Campaign.

“Our main focus is on the bell ringing this time of year,” said Envoy Scott Hurula, the corps officer in charge of the Joliet post. “We have some wonderful retail partners who let us ring the bell outside their locations.”

The Salvation Army has partnered with Jewel, Mariano’s, Sam’s Club, Walmart, Hobby Lobby and JC Penny for the holiday season and hopes to have volunteers outside each of the stores from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week. The Salvation Army does not work on Sundays, so this year the campaign will last until Dec. 23. This year Jewel allowed the group to begin fundraising on Nov. 1, a full 10 days earlier than previous years.

“We are very fortunate to have a nice group of volunteers in the area, but we don’t have nearly enough to cover all of our days until the 23rd,” said Hurula.

To encourage volunteering, the corps has introduced the slogan “Ring for eight feels great” trying to get individuals, or groups of friends to sign up for bell-ringing shifts. Shifts last for a minimum of two hours, and the organization encourages groups to sign up and share shifts to cover entire days at a location.

“We are very fortunate to have a nice group of volunteers in the area, but we don’t have nearly enough to cover all of our days until [Dec.] 23.”

—  Envoy Scott Hurula, officer in charge of the Joliet Salvation Army post

According to Hurula, the Joliet Rotary and Kiwanis clubs have already signed up for shifts in the community, as have the Will County Warriors Wrestling Team, and the Will County Trail Riders, who were ringing the bell with their horses at the Walmart in New Lenox on Saturday.

Hurula noted that the Rockdale School District 84 National Junior Honor Society has also partnered with their post to host their own mini bell ringing campaign from Dec. 4-8 before and after school.

Another special location the Salvation Army volunteers will be manning this Christmas season is the Rialto Square Theatre.

“They are letting us ring the bell outside for an hour before curtain for their holiday shows,” Hurula said.

The first of 15 shows where the Rialto will welcome the Salvation Army was “The Nutcracker” on Nov. 26, which raised more than $200 for the organization.

“All the folks coming into the theater were so generous,” said Hurula. “It’s so generous of the Rialto to let us be there. It raises attention for the whole campaign, which is priceless.”

Sixty percent of the entire year’s fundraising for the Salvation Army is done during the holidays, starting with the organization’s national kick-off on Thanksgiving, which this year was hosted by Dolly Parton at the halftime show of the Dallas Cowboys game against the Washington Commanders.

The Cowboys have partnered with the Salvation Army for the past 27 years to launch the holiday campaign, which is the longest running fundraiser in the U.S.

While the organization collects money through mail-in and online donations, the Red Kettles are the most visible symbol of the charity and bring in significant funds in small increments.

“It’s always amazing,” said Hurula. “I just brought the pennies, and nickels and dimes we collected Saturday to the bank and it all adds up. We like to say ‘change goes in, change comes out,’ because it makes such a big difference for people.”

The Joliet Salvation Army Corps provided assistance to 7,500 families in Will County in the past year and distributed 147,000 meals worth of food.

“The emphasis is on the bell ringing because it brings in donations, but we love to receive donations of nonperishable foods and toys as well,” Hurula said.

Offices, schools or community groups who wish to donate toys or food to the Salvation Army can call the Joliet office to arrange a large pick-up of items, and individuals can drop off contributions at the post, located at 300 Third Ave. in Joliet.