The Salvation Army would like to say thank you to everyone who took the time to either volunteer to ring bells or donate.

During the Woodland Salvation Army Service Center’s monthly committee meeting earlier this month, the good news was announced that our bell ringing for the year had resulted in the community donating $18,500 for our efforts, a $6,000 increase over last year’s $12,500 figure.

This increase was a surprise in that, though we had a wonderful office team, it was necessary to keep up with the heavy seasonal workload to reduce our bell ringing schedule by a few days due to sickness of employees and the inability to hire a seasonal worker to keep up.

Raley’s and Bel Air were the locations that our community loved the most. The kettles at Raley’s from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. were mostly manned by members of Life Pointe Church who had been recruited to be bell ringers when they were serving as chaperones at The Salvation Back to School Event held late last August.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., they were manned by 4 H Club members from the Clever Clover and Willow Oak Clubs, who were accompanied by a parent.

The kettle at Bel Air was manned by returning volunteers and those transferred from Raley’s and a few newcomers.

Getting the kettle fully manned was difficult because many volunteers are ill-health, getting too old, or never near the phone.

The increase in income over last year’s bell ringing revenues will gratefully help our Salvation Army local Service Center in budgeting the service program to the community for the incoming year which includes, distributing food to families in need on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month between 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. at our office at 413 Main St.

Our summer and seasonal programs included sending 15 children to The Salvation Army’s Del Oro Camp, which cost $325 a week per child, and/or the Back to School Spree, where last August, 80 children were purchased $125 outfits of clothes at J.C. Penny. W

We have also received a donation of $3,500 by the Woodland Kiwanis toward these as well as shoes donated by the Woodland Police Department’s Police Activities League, The Soroptimist, and the Winters Police Department.

Most recently the Christmas Distribution which took place on Dec. 21 where the Woodland Masonic Lodge donated its dining room for our distribution for 30 families who received holiday food boxes, and the children received gifts (some from an Angel Tree at Walmart Main) and gift certificates for teens ($500 was donated from the Kiwanis Club.)

In addition, 18 low-income households received holiday food boxes and gift cards to purchase their holiday meat and produce.

Furthermore, this year’s increase in bell ringing revenues was not only because the shoppers had money left over from their purchases to put in the kettles but also because we had more kettles manned. Thankful for the new ringers from the “Local organizations coming together” at the Child Spree, particularly those from Life Point Church and also gained by the Willow Oak 4 H Club helping the Clever Clover 4 H with its program.

We would not have improved so much over last year. The Woodland Service Center Committee gives thanks to all the generous people in this community who have given in any way towards The Salvation Army’s endeavors to assist low-income families.

Emphasis is given to members of the following organizations:

Clever Clover 4H Club

Holy Rosary Church

Life Point Church

Sunrise Rotary Club

United Methodist Church

Willow Oak 4H Club

Woodland Christian Church

Woodland Host Lions Club

Woodland Kiwanis Club

Again, The Salvation Army Service Center thanks you for this big improvement provided by our amazing community. Every donation will be gratefully appreciated. We hope that next year, we will be able to have our volunteers back for another round. Newcomers are welcome with open arms to join in on this special mission to help our community of Woodland. A growing source of getting more volunteer bell ringers now and for the future is described in the following story about the history of the 4H Club Bell Ringers.