Rose Garden Resident
News
Fewer red kettles are seen
By Mayra Flores De Marcotte
It's the holiday season, and holiday music can be heard inside most supermarkets and department stores, but the familiar bells heard at storefronts is beginning to fade.
Since 1891, the familiar Salvation Army red kettle and bell ringers have been part of the holiday season, but a lack of volunteers and stricter store regulations have made them a rare sight.
"This year, we started with 50 workers and now we are down to 36," said Rene Carcamo, Salvation Army captain.
In addition to using volunteers, the Salvation Army hires the homeless to ring bells.
"We give them meals, shelter and a salary," Carcamo said. "It helps them find something for themselves."
One bell ringer who goes by the name Ron has been collecting donations for five years. This year, he stands in front of the Meridian post office.
He said that over the years, the donations into his kettle have been fewer and fewer, but he continues to ring his bell because those that do make a contribution do more than just share their wealth.
"A lot of baby boomers come by and tell me that the Salvation Army is a good organization," Ron said.
The organization still managed to reach its 2006 goal of raising $100,000, Carcamo said.
Besides lack of manpower, the other factor in the disappearance of the bell ringer is the that many stores don't want the bell ringers standing in front of their businesses.
"The problem is, if they let Salvation Army be out front, then they open the gates for others to do the same thing," Carcamo said. "You then end up with a number of solicitors in front of their stores."
Carcamo, a West San Jose resident, has been involved with the Salvation Army since his youth and has seen the major changes in holiday season donations.
"We used to be able to stand in front of the Target stores," he said. "Since 2004, when Target opened stores nationwide, they stopped letting us stand out front."
The large retailer, however, did not pull its support of the nonprofit group. Instead, the store now carries holiday ornaments and CDs as part of its Gifts for a Greater Good program. A portion of the sales from the sale of the CDs and the ornaments goes to the Salvation Army. Both can be purchased in store or online.
When one door closed, another opened, Carcamo said.
Another major retailer the group works with is Wal-Mart, which allows the ringers to continue to stand out front.
"It's been a blessing," Carcamo said.
Ringers can still be seen in front of Safeway stores, including those at Meridian and Hamilton avenues, at Winchester and Payne avenues, and in Almaden Valley and in front of the Willow Glen post office on Meridian Avenue, in front of the Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in Campbell, and in front of Valley Fair Mall.
For more information, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org/usw/www_usw_gstate.nsf.
