Salvation Army Kettle Campaign means it's Christmas in Hudson

By Jon Echternacht

One of the true signs that the Christmas season is upon us once again is the presence of the Salvation Army volunteers at various retail stores with their red kettles and bells.

The "bell ringers" hit the streets on the day after Thanksgiving and work the weekend through Christmas Eve Day in St. Croix County, including five locations in Hudson and two in New Richmond.

"We depend upon the Red Kettle Campaign for a majority of our funds," said D.J. Weber, program coordinator for the St. Croix County Salvation Army.

"Last year we collected over $29,000 in the kettle campaign. All that change adds up and 87 percent of the donations are used in St. Croix County," she added.

Weber said that the campaign relies on literally hundreds of volunteers during the holiday season.

"We have people at seven locations including Target, Wal-Mart, County Market, Fleet Farm and Erickson's City Market in Hudson and Pamida and More-4 in New Richmond," Weber said.

She said that the volunteers work one- to two-hour shifts. The kettle's are on hand from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday night and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday. "This year in Hudson, we have an additional night in which volunteers from the Hudson Fire Department and Hudson Police Department work from 5 to 9 p.m. on Thursday," Weber said. On Christmas Eve day, the campaign runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"The day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve day are our two best days," she said.

Collecting all those pennies, dimes, nickels and quarters in a kettle can get to be a heavy obligation.

"We collect and make deposits every two hours," Weber said. "My heart goes out the volunteers who make collections because the kettles can get pretty heavy with change. The people in St. Croix County are very generous."

Weber also notes that a small donation can mean a lot. "If each child came up and gave a nickel or a dime, it might provide somebody with another night of shelter," she said. "The change adds up to hundreds and thousands of dollars."

The money raised is funneled to many organizations in the county. The Salvation Army operates Faith House at 235 E. Second St., in New Richmond, which helps homeless families. It also is the home of the New Richmond office of the organization.

The Army also provides for emergency funding for the basic needs of people such as helping with the rent when a family faces eviction or provided utility payments when a family faces the possibility of having their heat cut off.

"The needs are tremendous. We get referrals from schools, religious organizations and we work closely with the other non-profit organizations in the county," Weber said. "As a service extension unit, we work to do the most with what we have."

Weber, who is a native of Delaware and grew up in South Carolina in an Air Force family, has worked in her position as a part-time employee for a year and one-half. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona and is an Air Force veteran.

She pointed out that the Salvation Army would be on hand New Year's Eve to help with any Y2K problems working with the County Emergency Government Center.

"We never have too many volunteers," she said and urges anyone with questions or who wants to volunteer to call the Salvation Army at 381-1342 or 246-3260. The Rev. Keith Lueneburg of Mt. Zion Lutheran Church in Hudson, assists in coordinating much of the Salvation Army's activities in Hudson and around the county.