It's never too early to start thinking about giving back this holiday season. The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit is seeking enthusiastic individuals, families and groups to donate their time and talent by ringing the bell at a storefront red kettle for the nonprofit organization. A Bell Ringer Recruitment Fair will be held at the 13 metro Detroit Salvation Army corps community centers Monday, Oct. 17 through Friday, Oct. 21, 2016.
The Salvation Army is looking to fill hundreds of volunteer shifts at red kettle locations throughout metro Detroit beginning Friday, Nov. 11 and running through Christmas Eve, excluding Thanksgiving and Sundays.
Volunteers can walk in and register at the following locations between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. unless otherwise noted:
Dearborn Heights, located at 26700 W. Warren Ave. between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Detroit Conner Creek, located at 3000 Conner St.
Detroit Grandale, located at 11325 Montrose Ave.
Detroit Harbor Light, located at 3737 Lawton
Detroit Temple, located at 3729 W. Chicago Rd.
Farmington Hills, located at 27500 Shiawassee Rd.
Mount Clemens, located at 55 Church St.
Plymouth, located at 9451 S. Main St.
Pontiac, located at 469 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. S.
Royal Oak, located at 3015 N. Main St. between 9 a.m. and noon
Warren, located at 24140 Mound Rd.
Wayne/Westland, located at 2300 Venoy between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Wyandotte, located at 1258 Biddle Ave. between 9 a.m. and noon, and 1 to 4 p.m.
Volunteers who are technologically-savvy can also register for bell ringer shifts at www.ringbell.org. Bell ringers can choose their preferred date, time and location throughout the Red Kettle fundraising season on the website.
"Volunteer bell ringers are the lifeblood of The Salvation Army's Red Kettle fundraising campaign," said Major Russ Sjögren, general secretary and metro Detroit area commander for The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division. "Recruiting new volunteers as well as welcoming returning bell ringers will allow our organization to continue providing critical programs and services to those in need within our communities."
Funds raised during the Red Kettle campaign will help support year-round Salvation Army programs and services in the communities they are collected including feeding and sheltering programs, rehabilitation centers, emergency disaster services and nurturing programs for adults, seniors and children.
Last year, more than 1,250 metro Detroiters volunteered as Salvation Army bell ringers during the Christmas season, totaling more than 9,200 hours.
For more information about volunteer opportunities with The Salvation Army, please contact Danielle Greco at (248) 443-5500 ext. 240 or visit www.ringbell.org.
About The Salvation Army
Founded by William and Catherine Booth in London, England in 1865, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination. This past year, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit was involved in providing 2,724,152 meals and 652,786 nights of shelter for the homeless. The Salvation Army uses $.87 of every dollar raised to provide direct services to people in need each and every day of the year. For more information about The Salvation Army, please call 877-SAL-MICH, or visit us at www.salmich.org.