Northeast Lakeview and Northwest Vista also will participate.
By James Russell
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
The Salvation Army will set up donation buckets called red kettles at this college and Northwest Vista and Northeast Lakeview colleges as part of the organization’s holiday fund drive.
This is the first time the Salvation Army has teamed up with Alamo Colleges to do this event.
“Not only is this to bring more awareness but it’s to let students know there is a way to help and give back to their community,” special events volunteer Coordinator Amanda Bishop said in an interview Oct. 15.
There will be a competition between the Alamo Colleges and the winner of the competition will get a tour of the Salvation Army and see the impact their efforts made to the community.
The Salvation Army will be on this campus 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Nov. 13-15.
The dates The Salvation Army will be appearing at Northeast Lakeview and Northwest Vista have not been announced.
Volunteers from the Salvation Army will be ringing bells and collecting donations in kettles throughout the community Nov. 12 through Christmas Eve.
“Red kettle locations will be spread all throughout San Antonio at various locations such as Walmart, North Star Mall, and everywhere else possible starting 10 a.m. through 8 p.m.,” Bishop said.
“Red kettles have been around for 125 years and continue to be an American icon,” according to the Salvation Army website.
Red kettles started in December 1891 when Capt. Joseph McFee of the Salvation Army in San Francisco wanted to provide dinner for 1,000 people but had no way to pay for it.
McFee had found a large pot that could hold charitable donations.
Beside the pot he had a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.”
Red kettles have raised more than $144 million nationally, feeding thousands of families in the process.
Bell ringers raise an average of $30 per hour. In just two hours they raise enough to provide a week’s worth of groceries for a family of four, according to the website.
“For a good cause that provides for the community it’s the most efficient way to raise money,” Bishop said. “The purpose of the red kettle is to raise money for food and shelter and helps other programs in the process,” Bishop said.
If students want to volunteer for any events at the Salvation Army, contact Bishop at 210-857-5383 or Amanda.Bishop@uss.salvationarmy.org
