Bells are Ringing: The History of the Salvation Army Bells

By Cara Palumbo '19

December 2018

During this time of year we should think about not only those that are related to us but those who are less fortunate. Every holiday season people see volunteers braving the cold and ringing a bell in order to raise funds for the the Salvation Army. The red kettle that the donations go into help raise funds for Salvation Army programs that provide food, shelter, rehabilitation, disaster relief, and much more for people and families in crisis. The kettle tradition started in 1895 with Captain Joseph McFee who want to provide a Christmas dinner to a 1000 poor people but had no way to pay for the dinner. He then had the bright idea to place a brass pot at the docks for a ferry landing for donations. Soon, McFee had enough funds for the Christmas dinner and when the transferred him to America he took this idea with him. Once the the idea of the red kettle got to America it exploded and branched off to places everywhere. This holiday season please remember those that are less fortunate and donate to the Salvation Army and help continue the tradition of the ringing bells.