Salvation Army rings in its North Texas red kettle campaign. Where do your donations go?

Christmas trees and ornaments, wreaths, presents and hot cocoa. All are synonymous with Christmas.

Yet one that may not come immediately to mind is arguably more impactful than them all, said Salvation Army volunteer Concetta Ledig.

The symbols of Christmas that resonate most with Ledig and many low-income residents throughout Tarrant County and North Texas are an iconic red kettle and a ringing bell.

Outside a Westworth Village Sam’s Club on Dec. 12, Ledig rang and rang — and kept ringing — a miniature red bell. She was encouraging shoppers to drop some change in a red kettle tagged with The Salvation Army logo.

All proceeds from the kettle go directly to North Texas residents served by The Salvation Army. The seasonal campaign brings $1.5 million annually to Salvation Army North Texas, according to area commander Maj. Paul McFarland.

“My grandfather said to me, ‘You never know when the shoe is going to be on the other foot,” Ledig said.

Because of those words, every day she reminds herself she is blessed, with a roof over her head and food in her stomach, she said.

That is why she bell rings. And, that’s why everyone who can should give to those in need, Ledig said, like the more than 100,000 residents across North Texas touched annually by The Salvation Army.

“Oftentimes people think of The Salvation Army as just a homeless organization,” Ledig said. “But then you start talking to people about everything this money goes to … and they have no idea.”

For at least two hours a couple times a week, Ledig is outside Sam’s Club, ringing bells for a kettle whose donations are designated to the Northside location. An equal number of kettles are dedicated across the city for the Northside location, J.E. and L.E. Mabee Social Service Center and Catherine Booth Friendship House.

At the Mabee Center, money donated could go to a variety of programs offering North Texas residents stability and hope, according to the location’s senior manager of behavioral health, Venette Meachem.

“You get to watch them grow. Seeing them leave confident, with their heads held high, it’s beautiful to see,” Meachem said.

For the Mabee Center, the average cost of supporting one resident can range from $35 to $110.51 a day, according to the Salvation Army.

The location offers six different programs. Some help homeless people, while others help single women with mental health disorders, and another helps chemically dependent mothers and their children.

“That’s the (cost of) shelter, food, transportation, necessities like sheets, blankets, pillows,” Meachem said, adding the cost can vary by program.

For example, the daily expense could be much higher for women in the First Choice Program, designed for chemically dependent women and their children. Residents receive private rooms with baths, transportation and substance abuse counseling.

“Everything these women could need to succeed are right here,” Meachem said. “It’s all about stability.”

Like most Salvation Army locations, the center has an emergency family homeless shelter and provides daily meals for homeless people.

“If some of these individuals didn’t have The Salvation Army, they wouldn’t have much else to immediately support them,” Ledig said, who also serves on a Salvation Army advisory council.

So, a donation into any red kettle helps, McFarland said, whether it be outside Sam’s Club, Walmart or online through a virtual red kettle.

“It really is our annual big fundraising campaign,” McFarland said. “I’d say 50% of the funds we raise for the year come during October, November and December.”

Depending on the day, anywhere from 100 to 200 red kettles could be scattered across Tarrant County.

Ledig and her kettle always know where they’ll be, and where the money they receive will be going to.

Matthew Sgroi

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Fort Worth Report

“Rain, sleet or snow, we’re here,” Ledig said, who often makes bell ringing a family affair. Earlier this month, she was joined by her kids, ages 9, 11 and 13.

She’s teaching her children the same lesson her grandfather, who also served on a Salvation Army advisory council, taught her.

“I always tell them, ‘Never pass by a kettle without throwing at least a penny in. You never know when the shoe is going to be on the other foot,’” Ledig said.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect a change in the cost of supporting one resident, on average, for one day.

Matthew Sgroi is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.