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Base officers ring bells for Salvation Army
This holiday season, the Salvation Army is getting some much needed help for its annual Red Kettle Campaign.
Several officers from Mountain Home Air Force Base have volunteered to stand outside of Wal-mart ringing bells and helping to spread some holiday cheer.
2nd Lt. Trent Fritz has been in charge of recruiting and coordinating the more than 10 volunteers from the Company Grade Officer's Council. "We saw an ad on the television and wanted to do our part to help," he said. "So we called the local office and went from there."
Heading up the local Salvation Army is longtime volunteer Judy Whitaker and she had nothing but praise for the service of the officers. "They don't know just how appreciative we are for what they're doing. Usually it's just a couple of us bellringing, but this year we are very blessed to have 2nd Lt. Fritz' people too," she said.
The Red Kettle Campaign raises millions of dollars each year and has been a Salvation Army tradition since 1981. Whitaker has run the program locally since 1995 and helped raise over $8,000 in Elmore County alone last season.
"Before then (1995) all bellringers were paid and the money we collected got shipped off to headquarters in Portland, then dolled out to each community," Whitaker said. "It didn't make any sense to me so I told them I would do it only if it was strictly volunteer and all money raised in Elmore County went to those who live here."
Among other things, the money now collected during the Red Kettle Campaign is used to help local families and people who are in need of basic necessities both during the holiday season and throughout the rest of the year.
"We don't put any earmarks on it. If someone needs something, anything, to get by, they can come in and talk to us and we'll see what we can do for them," said Whitaker.
She highlighted the story of a diabetic woman who needed her insulin shot and couldn't afford to pay for the medication, so the Salvation Army paid to have the prescription filled.
Another young woman couldn't buy several feet of new pipe for her water line after her old one burst last winter. "She came in, filled out the application, and we went and got her some pipe so she could have hot water."
Volunteer Don Nesbitt, who has been bellringing since 2000, said that he is happy to do whatever he can to help those who are less fortunate. "That's what Christmas is all about," he said.
He also had praise for the MHAFB officers who volunteered this season. "It really touches your heart to see these young men and women pledging their time to come out here and stand in the cold," he said.
"They deserve the utmost respect and thanks for what they are doing."
Besides 2nd Lt. Fritz, those men and women from the Company Grade Officer's Council volunteering this season are: Maj. Andrew Sackett (contracting squadron commander), Capt. Amelia Buettner, 1st Lt. Shane Schmitt, 1st Lt. Edmond Blanquera, 2nd Lt. Sara Blanquera, 1st Lt. George Hemingway, 2nd Lt. Christiane Makela, 2nd Lt. Jason Holman, 2nd Lt. David Leong, 2nd Lt. William Beard, and 1st Lt. Nicole Provolt.