THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 16, 1994 TAG: 9412140198
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ROBYNE R. COOKE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
WHEREVER THERE ARE Christmas shoppers, there are Salvation Army bell ringers this time of year. The clang of their bells is a reminder that Christmas is a time for sharing.
The local Salvation Army would like to raise $300,000 to help needy families in Norfolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach this year. Realistically, local collections are expected to total about $230,000, according to Betty Liston, business administrator for the Norfolk office of the Salvation Army.
More than 3,500 families will benefit from the Army's efforts. The money will be used to purchase toys, turkeys and other food items for distribution the week before Christmas.
The recipients are people who have applied for assistance at the area headquarters on 19th Street in Norfolk. Applications for assistance are accepted beginning in September.
Those who apply have to demonstrate a financial need and show proof of their identification. ``You can't just show up and say, `Hey, I need toys.' You have to prove a need,'' Liston said.
``We usually deal with crisis situations. There are a lot of middle-class people who get into situations like that, too.''
The Salvation Army began collecting money at Christmas time in 1891 to provide food to the poor on San Francisco's docks, according to Capt. Rick Mikles.
In the beginning, the slogan for the campaign was ``Let's keep the kettle boiling.'' Donations were collected in a soup kettle because soup kitchens were generally where the hungry were fed.
``It caught on fast, and for the last 100 years the program has really grown,'' said Mikles, who wore a pair of suspenders decorated with a Christmas-tree design.
Local kettle workers, which number about 25 this year, stand at 46 sites in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Those sites include Wal-Mart stores, K mart stores, Waterside and area malls, said Victor Philip, Christmas coordinator for the local effort.
Portsmouth, Suffolk and other parts of Hampton Roads are served by other Salvation Army organizations located in those cities. The Portsmouth Salvation Army is also responsible for collections in the Western Branch area of Chesapeake.
The bell ringers begin their quest each year on Nov. 3, working up to 10 hours on weekends until Thanksgiving. After that, they work every day except Sunday, Liston said.
About 20 percent of the bell ringers are paid employees, providing jobs to others who are out of work. Those who volunteer often return, year after year.
Donzar McMurray, a Chesapeake resident, said she became a bell ringer because she enjoys helping others. There's no secret to getting donations, she said. ``I just say, `Good morning,' and be nice to them.''
On Dec. 24, the collection stops. The week before Christmas, recipients go to a centrally located distribution center at an appointed time, without their children, to collect their food and toys. Filled stockings, candy, teddy bears and games await.
Other donations, such as clothing, toys or gift items from the myriad of ``Angel Trees'' around town, are also distributed at that time.
But families with children aren't the only ones who benefit from the program. The Salvation Army also uses some of the money for food baskets for the elderly and childless couples. A free Christmas Day dinner is also offered at the center.
``To a lot of people, we are Santa Claus,'' said Liston. ILLUSTRATION: [Color cover photo
Salvation Army volunteers like Donzar McMurray are as much a part of
Christmas as Santa Claus]
Staff photos by STEVE EARLEY
Chesapeake resident Donzar McMurray volunteers for the Salvation
Army in front of Kmart on South Military Highway. There's no secret
to getting donations, she said. ``I just say, `Good morning,' and be
nice to them.''
Keeping the bell ringing is one way to shoppers' attention.
Donzar McMurray, center, signs up for her shift as a bell ringer for
the Salvation Army.
A ringing bell is one way to get shoppers' attention.
McMurray passes out an information brochure to a shopper leaving
Kmart.
by CNB