Salvation Army has Red Kettle Kickoff

As a longtime Salvation Army volunteer, Kitty Davis has a proven strategy for manning her red kettle during the holiday season.

The louder she rings her bell, the more her pot rings with change.

"I love to ring it so loud that you see people start digging in their pockets, which makes me really happy," said Davis, whose name so belies her tenacity as a volunteer that she is sometimes called Pit Bull by her co-workers.

Bell ringers like Davis will be out in force beginning today though Dec. 24, a five-week period in which the Iowa City Salvation Army Corps hopes to raise $225,000 -- more than half of its annual budget.

The corps collected its first donations of the season Sunday at the Iowa City Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle Kickoff at Sycamore Mall. While the Johnson County Salvation Army Youth Choir belted out "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," parents sent their children up to a red kettle to drop in dollar bills and checks.

Terry Smith, captain and pastor of the Iowa City Salvation Army, said because more employers have laid off workers and scaled back in the past year, the need is greater than ever for charitable programs.

The Salvation Army recently distributed 150 Thanksgiving boxes locally, and Smith said it only took a three-day signup to fill that allotment. The Christmas toy program, which in past years has provided children of up to 600 needy families with gifts, already has seen 300 people sign up, Smith said.

"We have people coming in our door because of the economy who have never thought of coming in before," Smith said. "There's a great need here, and the Salvation Army is here to meet those needs."

Smith called this the most critical fundraising period of the year, with kettle collectors typically bringing in about $100,000 and the mail campaign earning another $125,000.

"Most people when they think about Christmas think about giving," Smith said. "And it's cold outside, while in the summertime people don't always think about giving."

Lowell Luhman, an Iowa City Salvation Army advisory board member, said that while this community has not been hit as hard as others by the recession, it will nonetheless be a challenging winter for many.

"Even here there is a need and a need for the Salvation Army to help people," said Luhman, who along with wife, Joan, are the Christmas drive's co-chairmen.

Davis, who began working with the Salvation Army in 1993 when she helped organize a soup kitchen after the flood, said the organization's reach extends to all corners of the community -- the homeless, the elderly and children in need.

"Every dollar we make, it goes back to the community," Davis said.