Bell ringing.................................

My Sweetie and I took our turn ringing bells for the Salvation Army's seasonal red kettle campaign yesterday, a cold but sunny day.  The Salvation Army does good work in our community.  As a for instance, one of their programs provides a free no-questions-asked dinner for anyone who stops by their local facility at the correct time.  At last count, they were feeding about 150 per night.  While a few of those fed maybe taking advantage of the system, to the Army it doesn't matter.  If you need, or want, fed, they will feed you.
     The kettle pictured above is outside our local Wal-Mart.  Wal-Mart is a great place to go to people watch, and, it is safe to say, that a broad cross-section of our community patronizes the store.
     A few observations:  Across the board, people are generous.  An amazing number of people were digging into their wallets/purses for money to put into the kettle even as they were getting out of their cars.  They know the kettle is there and they plan on giving.  It was cool to watch.  Many parents give change to their very young children and ask them to put the coins in the kettle, thereby teaching the giving habit early.  You can tell the ones who have done it before, and liked the feeling, because those little ones are asking their folks for coins to donate even before they get close to the kettle.  Also very cool to watch.
     The story of the day:  A man approached the kettle with a quart-sized ziplock bag filled with coins.  He put all of the change in the kettle.  By way of conversation, the man said that throughout the year he picks up all the pennies and other assorted coins that he finds in parking lots and on sidewalks and sets them aside.  Then at Christmastime, he comes and puts them all in the various kettles.
     It was a good day.