“Discover why some of the richest people in the world are not millionaires… they are volunteers.”
- Salvation Army slogan
White lights twinkling, snow falling, cookies baking, shoppers bustling and Christmas carolers singing are all familiar sights and sounds of the holidays. Yet Christmas can be difficult for families going through hard times. Fortunately, Central Ohio is blessed to have the Salvation Army and thousands of volunteers – many of them residents and business professionals from Dublin – eager to help.
One of the Salvation Army’s major events is Christmas Cheer, which occurs Dec. 14-18 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Families in need register with volunteers, and often share their emotional life stories. At Christmas Cheer, families receive a Christmas dinner food box with chicken, stuffing, yams, potatoes, cookies and more. They can also pick out one new gift or toy for each child younger than age 13.
This event requires 1,500 volunteers during November and December and helps more than 7,000 families. Tim Marsh of Dublin recruits dozens of St. Brigid of Kildare Catholic Church families to help because he wants to get kids involved with volunteer work.
“It’s so meaningful to help people face to face and watch their expressions when they receive the gifts,” Marsh says.
Dublin resident Cathy Bell agrees. Cathy’s daughters Leah and Lauren are now in college but still return to volunteer at Christmas Cheer.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Cathy Bell says. “Where else can you hand out toys and food to thousands of families in need?”
Adopt a Family is a Salvation Army program that matches up a sponsor with a family unable to provide its own Christmas. The sponsor gets the family wish list in November and delivers the gifts to the Salvation Army the second week of December. Each family can only be “adopted” once in a lifetime and no names are exchanged. Most requests are for basic items, such as blankets, crayons and coloring books for the children.
Justin Bates lives and works in Dublin as president of Stanley Steemer. His 180 employees adopted seven families last year. One family included four children who were being raised by grandparents after their parents died.
“Helping people in need makes a real impact on the whole Christmas season,” Bates says.
Stanley Steemer’s employees also donate $20,000 per year to the Salvation Army by coming up with creative giving ideas. They hold coat drives, volunteer at the after-school learning center and Christmas Cheer and take shifts ringing the bell for the Red Kettle Campaign, which is the Salvation Army’s largest fundraiser. Eighty-five cents of every dollar goes straight to the organization’s services (80 kettle locations in Central Ohio are active from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve).
Dublin resident Amy Proctor gathers her family and friends together to sing Christmas carols during their Red Kettle shift.
“Everyone stops and donates because the cute little children caroling are irresistible,” Proctor says.
The Salvation Army’s Coats for Columbus program runs from October to December. While the program encompasses Central Ohio, it receives large amounts of support from the Dublin area. Last year the overall program collected and distributed 4,022 coats.
The Dublin elementary schools are just a few of the locations that collect coats. Coats are sorted at the Dublin Village Square Shopping Center, located at the corner of State Routes 33 and 161. Equity Commercial Real Estate donates the space free of charge and volunteers sort the coats by size, gender and washing instructions. Dublin Cleaners cleans all of the coats at no cost before they are distributed.
You can give back during the holidays and make a difference through any of the Salvation Army programs. Contact Volunteer Coordinator Jean Griffith at 614-358-2627 or . Visit the Web site at www.salvationarmycolumbus.org for more information.
Colleen D’Angelo is a contributing writer for Dublin Life.