Community Church at SaddleBrooke Rings Bells for the Salvation Army

Bell ringers Lucie Gerritzen and Shirley Wilkins with the Salvation Army Band

Jerry Fay

The Community Church at SaddleBrooke (CCSB) continued its annual tradition of ringing bells to support the Salvation Army Christmas program. For over 15 years, CCSB members have volunteered to ring bells at Bashas’. The funds raised go directly to the Tucson Amphi Corps to support their programs, which include meals, shelter, clothing, and direct assistance to people in need, plus an extensive program for children.

For 22 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, more than 130 volunteers rang bells in two-hour shifts, starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. Some of the volunteers got creative, including singing Christmas carols and a barber shop quartet, and one couple even brought their dog. A highlight of the bell ringing was a performance by the local Salvation Army Brass Band. Many of the people who donated had fond memories of seeing the Christmas kettles when they were kids Christmas shopping with their parents. Some even remembered the Salvation Army’s support for our service members on the battlefields during World War II.

The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that provides extensive disaster relief services, as well as its numerous social services programs. The Salvation Army was founded over 130 years ago to fill a need to help the suffering poor in London, and it is now active in 134 countries, with its global headquarters in London.

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign began in 1891 when Captain Joseph McFee of the Salvation Army in San Francisco placed a large pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing to raise money for a free Christmas dinner for the poor. The pot was a huge success, raising enough money to fund the dinner. The idea spread quickly, and the tradition continues today, with kettles used in many countries around the world. The money raised through the Red Kettle campaign is used to help the homeless, needy families, and others in need.

The Community Church at SaddleBrooke is pleased to not only ring bells to raise funds at Christmas time, but also to provide direct support through their Missions Program to the Tucson Salvation Army Amphi Corps. CCSB has a church member serving on the Amphi Corps Advisory Council.