The Virtual Bell-Ringer

Salvation Army Virtual Kettles

When I was little, my mother would hand me a dollar or two and I would have the privilege of putting it into the red kettle. Hearing the bells ring as I got out of the car in the parking lot, with a chill in the air meant that the holiday season had arrived. Today, I am still unable to walk by the bell ringer at the mall, the grocery store, or the local shopping center without dropping in a few pennies, dollars or whatever spare change I have. To me, this is part of Christmas.

I recently came across an article on the Salvation Army's decision to expand its traditional methods of fund raising to include the "Virtual Kettle". Recognizing that many people don't carry cash as readily and are less inclined to take time out of their busy holiday schedules to drop money in the traditional kettle, the Salvation Army has decided to go virtual. Through the Salvation Army website, anyone can become a "virtual bell ringer" by creating a virtual kettle and inviting their friends, family and co-workers to donate electronically. Through the website, people can view each others kettle's, join a bigger kettle team, keep a running total on their donations and track overall progress towards the Salvation Army's larger goals. Donations can be directed to the donor's zip code, the kettle owners zip code or any other location in the US. Also new this year, people can now donate unused gift cards as well. I think this is a terrific way to keep the bell ringing even as the Salvation Army looks at shortages of volunteers across the US. The youth of America may not be inspired to stand in the cold and ring the bell, but they certainly are comfortable using on-line tools. If people are looking to the internet for their shopping, it makes sense that they will also look to it for their giving.