Bell ringing: Labor of love

Salvation Army kettles help bring hope to poor

Cheryl and Phillip Pardue are seasoned Salvation Army bell ringers. For the last four years, the couple, members of New Hope Christian Church, have chosen one Saturday out of December to ring the bells. They do it as volunteers. They do it out of love.

Every year, Ashley Pardue, 10, joins her parents for the bell ringing.

"She loves it," said Cheryl. "She looks forward to it each year."

Cheryl has explained to her daughter that the money collected goes to help other girls and boys "who otherwise wouldn't have Christmas." It's a good explanation for a child. But the donations to the Red Kettles are used for so much more.

According to Major Mark Woodcock, area commander for the Salvation Army, the money raised from the kettle enables the Salvation Army to continue helping people break the cycle of homelessness and addiction. The money collected also makes other services like a utility assistance program, counseling and a food pantry available year-round.

The Salvation Army's Angel Tree project brought Christmas to more than 4,300 children and 1,500 senior citizens this year in the Mid-south. The ministry allows Memphians who want to share to have the chance to give to those who might otherwise have no Christmas gifts.

Churches, corporations, organizations and individuals who want to help next December can call the Salvation Army by October to arrange to participate.

The Pardue family participates in The Angel Tree Project, but young Ashley looks forward most of all to the opportunity to ring that bell at the red kettle.

"She sings Christmas carols, too," said Cheryl. "We've found that people are more generous givers when children are helping to collect."

Victor Gasior, new member at New Hope, rang the bell for the first time this year on Dec. 23. He was collecting at the Kroger Shopping Center at Bartlett Boulevard and Stage Road. When he began his two-hour shift, he brought his two children Victor, 4, and Christian, 2.

"I didn't find that people gave less, but they were more talkative with the children," said Gasior. "They would hand the money to the children and have them drop it in the kettle."

After the children went home with their mother Tonya Gasior, Victor said the donations on this last day to collect, seemed to continue at a steady pace.

Both Gasior and the Pardues -- who collected on Dec. 2 at the same location -- said the giving was so generous they had to push the money down with a stick to make room for more.

There was a generous 5 percent increase over last year in giving in the Bartlett and Cordova area, according to Elizabeth Duncan, director of development for the Salvation Army.

"While we still didn't reach our goal of $140,000 for Bartlett/Cordova, we increased from $111,000 last year to $116,000 this year and we're pleased," she said.

Doyal Brown, member of the board for the Salvation Army for Memphis and the Greater Mid-South, said that people who ring bells from Monday through Friday are paid to work. Volunteers make up the bell ringers on Saturday.

"We could use more volunteers ringing," said Brown, who organized the volunteer ringers from New Hope.

New Hope covered the Saturday ringers for the Kroger store on Stage, the Schnucks at Kirby Whitten and Stage, and the Wal-Mart on Hwy. 64.

"Volunteers help put money back in circulation. Volunteers give us more money to help those who can't help themselves," he said.

Duncan said a good bit of money is always collected on Christmas Eve but since Dec. 24 was a Sunday, the last bell ringing day was Dec. 23.

"People are generous, especially people of faith," said Duncan. "They understand it's not their money anyway. It belongs to God."

By Wednesday, the generous giving from the greater Memphis area had kicked the donations up to $262,000; well over the $250,000 goal.

"I was so pleased when I heard these figures," said Duncan. "It really made my day."

For now the bells are quiet again. But people can still donate online by going to www.salvationarmysouth.org/kt/ memphis.

Got any news at your place of faith? Know someone who did something special? Patsy Keith can be reached at 377-9641 or by fax at 386-5877 or e-mail to pfkeith17@hotmail.com.

By Patsy Keith
Special to
The Commercial Appeal
December 30, 2006

Rommie Howard rang bells at Wal-Mart on Germantown Parkway during the holidays. Paid bell ringers like Howard work for the Salvation Army on weekdays. On weekends, the kettles are tended by volunteers.

Photo: Cassandra Kimberly/The Cordova Appeal