| Volunteers needed for bell-ringing efforts | It's almost that time a year again when bells will be heard ringing outside Walmart, Kmart, Marsh and Owen's.
The bells will be rung by volunteers for the Salvation Army of Kosciusko County's red kettle efforts.
Two new additional bell-ringing sites have been added this year to the list - JCPenneys and Big R, Warsaw.
Dale Brandenburg, Salvation Army of Kosciusko County captain, said small countertop red kettles were placed Nov. 1 at 100 sites in Warsaw at local restaurants and businesses.
Bell ringing this year runs from Nov. 27 to Dec. 24 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
In October, Boy Scout troops, service clubs and Grace College began signing up to ring the bells.
Volunteers who want to bell ring can contact Brandenburg or Ken Locke, Salvation Army community services director, at 574-267-5361.
Brandenburg said volunteers are encouraged to take one-hour shifts or can volunteer for longer times.
Funds raised from the efforts are used for Salvation Army's social services, youth programs and paying for rental assistance for Salvation Army clients.
The red kettle goal for this year is $109,000.
Last year, $107,000 was raised by bell ringers.
"If we don't raise the funds, we will not be able to keep supplying people with rent assistance, back-to-school shoes and providing transportation needs," Brandenburg said.
The Salvation Army began sending out mail appeal envelopes Nov. 1 to collect funds for the Salvation Army. The envelopes will be mailed out in the county until Christmas.
Last year, $60,000 was raised through mail appeal efforts, and this year's goal is to raise $70,000.
|
|
Local Food Pantries In Need Of Donations
Jennifer Peryam
Times-Union Staff Writer
Local food pantries are seeing record turnouts of people in need of food.
However, it is becoming harder to provide food due to depletion of items on pantry shelves.
Dale Brandenburg, Salvation Army of Kosciusko County captain, said all that was left on its pantry shelves the beginning of last week were cans of green beans and apple sauce.
Salvation Army, 501 Arthur St., Warsaw, is giving out 30 percent more in food this year than they were at this time last year, according to Brandenburg.
On Thursday, the shelves were restocked, due to a $500 cash donation from a local service organization. With that donation, Salvation Army was able to purchase green beans, canned vegetables, peas, potatoes and corn.
Salvation Army also received 30 cases of duck last week that were donated, but now are gone.
"We like to give those who come in enough food to put together two to three meals out of what we give them, but we can't do that right now," Brandenburg said.
Salvation Army is currently in need of donations such as cereal, hamburger helper, tuna and canned meat and currently dated canned items.
Donation hours at the Salvation Army are Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. The food pantry is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 4 p.m. by appointment.
Combined Community Services, 110 E. Prairie St., also is seeing a need for food donations.
Needed items include eggs, cereal, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese and canned goods.
"We are seeing more than 500 families per month seeking our food pantry services, and the typical family size has increased due to the economy and families moving in together due to job losses," according to Peggi Lisenbee-Wright, CCS client services director.
She said it is not normal for the food to be depleted this time of year, but contributes the economy and more people using CCS's food services to less food available to give to clients.
She said Lewis Jones, CCS executive director, allotted funds to purchase food for the pantry Sept. 7, but the funds have since been spent.
CCS also was able to purchase eggs with a gift card last week, but they have been given to clients and are all gone. The refrigerator where the eggs are usually stored is empty.
"We are solely dependent on donations," Lisenbee-Wright said.
Donations can be dropped off at CCS Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon.
Another way people can assist CCS is to adopt a family this Christmas. More than 300 families have signed up for the Adopt-A-Family program.
The program matches families in need with individuals, churches, organizations and businesses and others who provide their holiday needs.
Besides providing clothing, toys and shoes for children, another way to help is to purchase food or food gift cards for families enrolled in the program, Lisenbee-Wright said.
People interested in adopting a family for the program can call Lisenbee-Wright at 574-269-6019, Ext. 22.
Roz Morgan, founding director of Our Father's House, said the organization's situation is just as grim.
Our Father's House offers a soup kitchen four days a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
She said the organization has seen an increase of usage of the soup kitchen increase by 47 percent since last November.
"This economic situation will not let up anytime soon, and we are bracing to help people who are laid off who had two incomes and now only have one," Morgan said. "The health of our community is only as good as the people who are comprised of it."
She said Our Father's House is 85 percent self-supportive, and 15 percent comes in cash donations from the community.
Morgan said last week she purchased 10 cases of baked beans and Maple Leaf Farms donated duck. Morgan said local churches do canned food drives for Our Father's House.
Donations Our Father's House could use are peanut butter, tuna fish and hamburger helper.
Our Father's House is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Helping Hands, a food bank in Mentone, 10072 W. CR 600S, also is in need of donations.
"People need to know things are rough out there throughout the county," said Jerry Sechrist, Helping Hands president.
Sechrist said the food bank has seen an increase in people seeking food this summer due to loss in jobs and the tough economy.
Items needed are boxed items such as macaroni and cheese, cereal, stuffing, cake mixes and hamburger helper as sell as canned food.
Sechrist said Tippecanoe Valley Schools have been supportive in food drives for the food bank.
Donations for Helping Hands can be dropped of at Niff-Tone, 10274 W. CR 600S, Mentone, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
|
|
.jpg)
