The Salvation Army is surprised every holiday season with some of the donations that end up in their little red kettles. This year, however, has seen some extraordinary generosity even in tough times.
The Salvation Army is certainly counting its blessing this holiday season. The bell ringers with the little red kettles are once again everywhere because, well, because it’s their season too. The Salvation Army was founded in London in 1865 by William Booth. He founded his organization on Christian principles and wanted to alleviate poverty, assist education and to further the reaches of Christianity.
In Springfield, Ohio on the day before Thanksgiving someone dropped a gold coin wrapped in a $100 bill into the little red kettle outside of a Kroger’s supermarket. Turns out the gold coin was a real one-ounce 1978 South African Krugerrand worth $1,200. The Salvation Army said that the donor remained unknown and it always surprises them when they get something out of the ordinary. So far, the Springfield, Ohio, store has raised over $40,000 this early in the season.
Meanwhile, in Rosemont, Minn., a couple gave the little red kettle a check for $500,000. That’s right-a half a million dollars, according to The Huffington Post. While the man and woman have not had their names released, it is known that they were once in such dire straights that they were surviving on the food that was thrown away in supermarket dumpsters. One of the couple’s fathers fought in World War I and never forgot the charity and the generosity the Salvation Army showed to the soldiers. Not to mention the coffee and donuts the Army always provided. For many of the men returning from that war, that was all they had to eat every day.
The couple is doing just fine now and will never forget the kindnesses shown to them when they were down. There comes a time, they said, when it is time to give back.
In 1878 Booth set the Army up in a sort of military fashion and used the trappings of the military such as uniforms, ranks, and flags to help its organizational structure as well as helping to establish brand recognition. The Salvation Army is in 127 countries around the world and 83 cents of every dollar is returned directly to the individual community in which it is asking donations. The cheerful smile and pleasant nod has become a part of the holiday season at malls and shopping center everywhere. It is a rare person that doesn’t drop something in the legendary little red kettle on their way out of the store.
