In mid-November, Salvation Army’s iconic red kettles and their bell-ringing attendants pop up around the Twin Cities and other metropolitan areas. One of those bellringers is Jack. He has rung bells for the past ten years. “It’s a lot of fun,” Jack said, “It’s a way to get outside of myself. I like doing it because I know the money goes to a good cause. The Salvation Army has a good history of using their money wisely. It’s a way to give back. I really didn’t do too much for anybody except myself when I was drinking.”
Jack is 60 years old and sober now, but his problems with addiction started pretty young. “As a teenager, drinking was exciting and fun,” Jack said, “but I had a lot of legal and personal consequences over the years: Incarcerations, three marriages, and good opportunities lost due to drinking and drug use.”
He tried a variety of ways to quit drinking, lots of secular methods, court-ordered treatments, and brief periods of sobriety followed by relapses. He grew up going to church, but didn’t have a lot of belief or faith. Church, to him, felt like a guideline of right and wrong, rules and regulations. He was young. He didn’t really understand it.
In 2010, Jack went to the Salvation Army (SA) Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Minneapolis. It was the first time that he was introduced to a faith where there was a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jack has gone back to ARC four times. Each time, his relapses were shorter and his sobriety was longer.
That’s where Jack started as a bell ringer. He explained that bellringing is a big part of how the Salvation Army funds their programs. Kettle season came into being in 1891 when a pastor in San Francisco wanted to provide a Christmas meal for people in poverty. While thinking and praying, he remembered being a sailor stationed in Liverpool, England. At Stage Landing, there was a large iron kettle where people could throw coins to feed the poor. He placed a similar kettle at the Oakland Ferry Landing. He got enough money to feed people that Christmas. Today, the money that the SA gets from the kettles, and from private donations, funds programs for children, food shelves, and such things as helping people pay their electric bills.
Bellringing is just one of the ways that Jack does service. He started in 2013 and has continued ever since. He’s provided emergency disaster services. He takes a recovery meeting to the Rehab Center every Friday. “I go there a couple of times a week to talk with the guys. It’s a six-month program and guys need encouragement and support. I tell them if a goofball like me can get and stay sober, then anybody can. I know what it’s like. I tell them, ‘I’m just one of you guys.’ Going there and telling my story helps me stay sober.”
“The rehab experience really changed my perception about everything. I haven’t been sober for 13 years, but rehab was a beginning to what I have in my life today. It changed my relationships with other people, my employment, and my family. To me, having those relationships restored was kind of my spiritual awakening. My spiritual journey was not a bolt of lightning, but more of a process, a learning variety.”
Another big thing that Jack realized from the SA model of recovery was that he needed to change his lifestyle. He said, “Drinking and doing drugs is a lifestyle. It’s one that I learned how to do. If I wanted to change that lifestyle, I needed to replace it with another way of living. That’s when I got involved with the Salvation Army. I go to church and Sunday School there. I started being in fellowship with the people at the SA. I have a spiritual mentor, the pastor of my church. I meet with him on a regular basis. And I ring the bells.”
“I have to be intentional about the things that will help me stay sober and connected with my church. I was given a great gift to be sober and I have an obligation to give back. It’s my honor and privilege to do it. It’s a win-win. I’ve got a great job as a machine operator. I have a nice home. A good lifestyle. I’ve been sober since Jan. 5th of this year. Last year, after five years of sobriety, I had a relapse. I got a DUI. Fortunately, I was connected with people at the Salvation Army. They said, ‘Jack, what are you doing?’ They helped me get back on track.”
When folks get near the end of the SA’s six -month rehab, they’re helped by volunteers to write resumes, address gaps in their employment, and set up housing. The Salvation Army doesn’t just kick residents out into the community. After that last relapse, the SA helped Jack get a job in Iowa so he could live near his brother. He had been living in Minneapolis to be close to his son, who is now older.
Today, Jack signs up online at the ‘Register to Ring’ website. Jack signs up for a four-hour shift every Saturday at the Hy-Vee in West Des Moines. “It can be nasty cold,” Jack said. “However, locations are very inviting and some allow us to come inside. The SA also uses drivers to deliver and pick up the kettles. There’s a lot of other ways to volunteer other than being out in the cold.”
When asked if there was any particular group he’s met while ringing the bells that sticks out to him, Jack replied, “I love it when I see firemen or families ringing bells. I also like to see parents give money to their children and then the kids put the money in the basket. It touches my heart. Those parents are demonstrating good family values. They’re showing their children what it’s like to be a good human. At first, the kids are kinda shy. After they put the money in the kettle, they’re smiling.”
Whether people give or not doesn’t matter to Jack. He says that’s not his reason for ringing. He finds other ways to stay engaged during his bell ringing shifts. “I’ve sung a few times. I’ll put on a Santa hat. Bouncing around and singing a Christmas carol helps me keep upbeat. Sometimes people say, ‘If you sing, I’ll put a little extra in the basket.’ So, I do it. I try to engage people without pressuring them or freaking them out.”
When asked if he’d recommend bell ringing to others, Jack replied, “I’d definitely recommend it. It gives you a good sense of self-worth and a sense of self-esteem to know that you’re doing something worthwhile, and it gives you a purpose in your life. That’s what recovery is all about, having relationships with people again and doing stuff for other people. It’s a good way to live.”
Bellringing runs from Nov. 10th to the weekend before Christmas. Those interested in bellringing can sign up online, call the local Salvation Army, or stop in at one of the SA Centers and talk to one of the officers.
Mary E. Berg is a retired associate professor of clinical education, a resume writer, published author, and poet. Her website is: marybergresumewriter.com.
Last Updated on November 13, 2023