Warm Kettles and Warm Hearts: How The Salvation Army Brings Holiday Joy to Families
If you have ever been out Christmas shopping, you have likely seen a Salvation Army Red Kettle bell ringer. Situated in front of bustling stores and shops full of shoppers eager to find perfect gifts for their loved ones, stands a smiling, dedicated Salvation Army worker or volunteer, clad in the iconic Salvation Army staff apron draped over their winter coat and a bell in their hand. Parked next to them, hanging on a tripod, stands the shiny, iconic candy-apple red kettle with The Salvation Army logo laminated front and center along the side, and a coin slot in the center of the lid for donors to place their contribution.
The Salvation Army Red Kettle program dates back to 1891 in Oakland, California. Christmas was around the corner, and local Captain Joseph McFee was looking for ways to cover the cost of the annual Oakland community Christmas meal. He began to remember his days as a sailor in Liverpool back when he still lived in England, and how local organizations put out “Simpson’s Pots”—iron cooking pots—in the streets for passersby to leave donations.
Recalling the success of the program in Liverpool, Captain McPhee placed an iron kettle of his own out at the Oakland Ferry Landing, right at the foot of Market Street, where it could be seen by all those going to and from the ferries. It was an immediate success and in only four years, by 1885, over 30 Salvation Army locations along the west coast had their own kettles. By 1897, kettles were in east coast Salvation Army locations, resulting in 150,000 Christmas dinners across the country for families and individuals in need.
Today, over 27 million people a year benefit from Salvation Army red kettle donations. Proceeds go towards not only Christmastime programs, but for a multitude of other impactful causes including disaster response services, social services, youth services, human and sexual trafficking advocacy, veteran services, senior centers, prison services, and religious services. The program has also evolved to include sister programs and campaigns such as The Angel Tree, and regular community meals not necessarily during Christmastime.
The Salvation Army Annapolis is one of hundreds of locations that still avidly run all of these programs, spreading holiday joy while leaving a lasting and meaningful impact, fostering hope and compassion in the greater community.