Heartwarming Stories from a Kettle Volunteer

In more than 2,000 locations across Canada, Salvation Army bell-ringers serve on the front lines of what continues to be the organizations most popular fundraising tool. Rod McMullin, who’s volunteered on the familiar red kettle for several years in Oshawa, Ont., says it’s a heartwarming experience.

“Many people stop by to drop cash or coins into the kettle,” says Rod. “I hear lots of stories about how The Salvation Army was there with a helping hand when they needed it most.”

Rod tells of one lady who, with her husband and young child, immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine in 1958 and The Salvation Army provided her family with a Christmas food hamper and toys.

“They didn’t know anyone here,” says Rod. “And simply just couldn’t afford Christmas. Every year since, when she sees the kettle at Christmastime, she is reminded of how The Salvation Army helped her see a bit of hope during one of the toughest times of her life.”

Through volunteering on the kettles and listening to peoples’ stories, Rod has learned much about The Salvation Army and the services they offer.

“I had no idea about the extent of The Salvation Army’s reach,” says Rod. “From free coffee and socks during the Second World War to low-income families who receive toys at Christmas to newcomers who are helped to resettle, I’ve learned a lot.”

In 2014, Canadians donated $21 million into the Army’s bubbles and buckets. The funds raised stay local to help meet community needs and provide services that move people toward independence. 

“A couple of years ago, two little girls, ages seven and eight, had saved some of their allowance to drop in the kettle,” says Rod. “The next year they returned with their donation and asked, ‘Do you remember us? We came back.’ Yes, I remembered them and their contributions once again reminded me that anyone can help change a life.”