Salvation Army Kettle Drive to benefit Lake County

This Christmas season, when you shop at Super One Foods, Wal-Mart, Pablo Family Foods, and Harvest Foods, you will see volunteers from the Polson, Pablo and Ronan-area churches and community organizations ringing the bell for the annual Salvation Army Kettle Drive.

Over the last several years, the Salvation Army has partnered with the Helping Hands Fund, a project of the Polson Ministerial Association, by providing vouchers to those who have emergency needs. The Helping Hands Fund serves individuals by providing food, lodging, rent, utilities, propane/fuel oil, bus tickets, gas, personal care items and meals. Safe Harbor, the Polson and Ronan Police Departments also provide vouchers and are recipients of some of these funds.

In the past, bell ringers were paid, which was not found to be profitable. Salvation Army vouchers, available through the Helping Hands Fund, are a direct result of donations raised by the Kettle Campaign. The individuals you see ringing the bells from Nov. 25 through Christmas Eve, are volunteering their time. Ninety percent of all the funds raised during the Christmas Kettle Drive stay in Lake County. Last year, more than $17,000 was raised.

So, when you see and hear a Bell Ringer, please put whatever you can afford into the Kettle to help us raise the additional funds necessary to sustain our help to the needy throughout the coming year. If you wish to volunteer for this year’s Kettle Drive, please call (406) 883-5908.

– Jennifer Rolfsness, Helping Hands Fund