Over the course of The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign in November and December, many unusual donations are placed in the red kettle. Often, they are unusual coins or rings. The Salvation Army Service Unit in Oneida found a very special donation in their red kettle one day in December.
After the bell ringing shift ended at the Walmart in Oneida, the kettle was emptied and the Army found a bundle of money stapled together in the midst of dollars and coins. The carefully folded stack turned out to contain a $1,001 donation, 10 one hundred folded dollar bills, wrapped and stapled with a one dollar bill.
“This was certainly an overwhelming gift for our Oneida Service Unit,” said Sam Reeder, regional services coordinator for The Salvation Army. “We are very grateful to this special donor and since he or she is anonymous, this is the only way we can thank them for their generosity and commitment to help neighbors in need in the city.
“During this past Christmas season’s Red Kettle campaign, we raised over $19,000, thanks to an all-volunteer effort. For the third year in a row, Madison-Cortland ARC stepped up and worked the most amount of shifts for the Red Kettle Campaign.
“We are very grateful as they volunteered for most of the weekday shifts,” he added. Funds donated through the Red Kettle remain in the community to provide short-term emergency assistance to those in need here. “Many times, our volunteers work with other agencies to pool our resources to help as many residents as possible, helping fire victims or providing help with outstanding utility bills,” he said.
Additionally, the five Madison County Service Units sent 22 Madison county students to The Salvation Army’s summer camp, Long Point Camp on Seneca Lake.
In addition to the Oneida Service Unit, there are Salvation Army Service Units in Cazenovia, Chittenango, Hamilton and Morrisville.
“We are looking for active, community-minded residents to join our service units and continue to do the most good in each community. Salvation Army Service Units are made up of an all-volunteer group that provides temporary assistance in areas where The Salvation Army does not have a building,” said Reeder.
Madison County residents interested in volunteering can call Reeder at (315)877-6079 or email at samuel.reeder@use.salvationarmy.org. Contributions can still be made on line at donate.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-800- SAL-ARMY.