Salvation Army’s Kettle Drive
hopes to raise $60,000 for needy
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — It is not difficult to spot the bright red bucket or the friendly sound of a bell ringing when entering a supermarket or department store at this time of year.
The day after Thanksgiving marks the traditional start to the Salvation Army’s Kettle Drive. And this year, the call to help needy families is greater than ever.
The Salvation Army came to the Houlton-area in 1889, according to Major Steve Pearl, head of the Salvation Army for Aroostook County. He and his wife, Irma, have run the Salvation Army in Aroostook County for the past six years.
With the increasingly challenging economy, more families than ever are in need of assistance, he said. The Salvation Army tries to meet the growing needs with the generous donations made by all who support the Christmas Kettle Campaign and every dollar given by the Aroostook County community, makes it possible for The Salvation Army to help those in need, not only during the holiday season, but throughout the entire year.
Fortunately, donations at Christmas have gone up in each of the six years the Pearls have been in the County. Last year, $57,000 was raised by the kettle drive. This year, they hope to collect $60,000.
“With the cost of everything going up, especially gas and oil heat, people are having a really difficult time,” Pearl said. “We too are strapped just like everyone else when it comes to paying the heating bill.”
There are only a few places the Salvation Army can actually put kettles, Pearl said. In years past, they would be located in downtown areas, because those places were a gathering place for the community.
In Houlton, kettles are typically found in front of Mardens and Andy’s IGA in the Houlton Shopping Plaza and Walmart. In Presque Isle, the kettles are located in front of Mardens, Walmart, Kmart and Star City IGA. In Caribou, Pearl said he has been given permission to place kettles at Sleepers and the Caribou One-Stop.
Finding enough volunteers to man those kettles is challenging, Pearl said. Often times, the Salvation Army has to hire individuals to work the kettles at key locations because there simply are not enough people volunteering. Kettle ringers are needed six days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“Getting volunteers is something I have to work at,” Pearl said. “We have to start out with paid employees at the key locations for 12-hours a day. As we get volunteers, I move the workers to other locations.”
Groups such as the Rotary Club and Masons, as well as employees from area banks, and various fire departments typically are the groups that volunteer their time.
Any group or individual that would like to volunteer to ring the bell for a kettle location can contact Pearl at 538-5284.
The funds generated from the kettle drives are primarily used for heat or food assistance and not for purchasing toys for the holidays.
“Rarely do we have to purchase toys for Christmas,” Pearl said. “We have Angel Trees at Walmart and Mardens and lot of people just know the need is there and will drop toys off at our office.”
An Angel Tree is Christmas tree with tags placed on it. On each tag is a needy child’s wish for a toy or item they would like to have for the holiday.
Other good Samaritans have called the Salvation Army in previous years and offered to “adopt” a family for the holiday, providing presents for both the children and adults.
Donations throughout the year have been down significantly, Pearl said. But he is optimistic things will pick up this holiday season.
“With the recession the way it is, our general donations have declined significantly,” he said. “The average person who would send $20 whenever a mail appeal showed up just doesn’t have it these days. We’re hoping the kettle drive picks things up a bit.”
History of the Kettle Drive
The following information is from the Salvation Army’s website:
“In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. During the holiday season, he resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for the destitute and poverty-stricken. He only had one major hurdle to overcome — funding the project.
“Where would the money come from, he wondered. He lay awake nights, worrying, thinking, and praying about how he could find the funds to fulfill his commitment of feeding 1,000 of the city’s poorest individuals on Christmas Day. As he pondered the issue, his thoughts drifted back to his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered how at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, there was a large, iron kettle called “Simpson’s Pot” into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the poor.
“The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, ‘Keep the Pot Boiling.’ He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.
“Six years later, the kettle idea spread from the West Coast to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy. In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years. Today in the U.S., The Salvation Army assists more than four-and-a-half million people during the Thanksgiving and Christmas time periods.
“Captain McFee’s kettle idea launched a tradition that has spread not only throughout the United States, but all across the world. Kettles are now used in such distant lands as Korea, Japan, Chile and many European countries. Everywhere, public contributions to Salvation Army kettles enable the organization to continue its year-round efforts at helping those who would otherwise be forgotten.”
The Salvation Army’s main office is located at 12 Court St., Houlton.
