Ringing for the Army

A friend and I excitedly volunteered to ring bells for the Salvation Army. We signed up on one of two sheets for this opportunity in our A.P. US History class, remembering the day and time, Saturday 10-11, but not the place that we were to go. It bothered me that I didn’t know where we were going, but during the school week we had the opportunity to look at the sheet, but I kept forgetting to look at it during school.

It was Friday night at 11pm when I remembered that we still had no idea where we were to ring bells tomorrow morning. I made a few calls and narrowed down the options to two, Mt. Vernon Rd. Hy-Vee and the Oakland Rd. Hy-Vee. The next morning I awoke with a sense of urgency, and a good reason for it. We still didn't know where we were going and didn't want to drive all the way out to Mt. Vernon Rd, to find out if that was where we were supposed to go. I had to do something quick so I decided to call our teacher, Mr. Benedict, but he didn’t pick up. Fortunately though as I was talking to my friend he called back to clarify that it was either Oakland Rd. Hy-Vee or Edgewood Rd. Hy-Vee not the Mt. Vernon Rd one. That made things easier because my friend lives in that neighborhood.

We decided to split up, one of us go to the Edgewood Rd. one and the other to the Oakland Rd. one, to determine where we were actually supposed to be. We both went at 10 a.m. to our different destinations and because I lived closer to the Oakland Rd. Hy-Vee that is where I went. I arrived to find no one there and proceeded to call my friend while still waiting inside my car, avoiding the cold, but more importantly the wind. He confirmed that I was at the right place when he saw others ringing at the Hy-Vee he went to. I got out of the car with my winter gear on, planning not to get cold and put on the Salvation Army apron and began to ring.
When in the car, on the phone with my friend waiting for him to answer, I had a clear shot at the red bucket that people so often put change in. When I observed though how many people were just walking by, I became discouraged and thought that it would be an awkward time standing there while people walk by the entire time. So I was extremely surprised when I had started ringing that people actually started placing money in the red bucket.

I thought to myself “Why do people become more generous when I’m standing here ringing a bell in the cold?” I reasoned with myself that it was because I was standing there in the cold that these people gave to the Salvation Army. They also might have believed in what it was going towards, but I believe the main reason was that I was there, sacrificing some sleep to come and ask for money for those who need it simply by ringing a bell.