Volunteers ring in holiday season

Volunteers ring in holiday season

Dec. 21, 2000

By Aspen Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

NANCY EVANSON, who says she once was helped by the Salvation Army, now volunteers as a bell-ringer every year. Here, she braves cold winds in front of the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Wednesday.

Six years ago the Salvation Army helped out Nancy Evanson by sending her kids to camp. Every year since, she has donated her time to ringing the Salvation Army bell in Cortez during the holidays.

"My kids even come along most of the time," Evanson said. "My daughter’s been ringing the bell since she was two."

A mother of four, Evanson pulled her Wednesday shift ringing the bell at Wal-Mart in the cold and windy weather while the kids were at school.

"This year I’m scheduled for 15 hours, but I also do some extra fill-ins," she said.

Evanson said she is a strong supporter of the Salvation Army bell-ringing because of the gratification that comes from helping others.

"You may never see the people you’re helping but you do it because it makes you feel good inside," Evanson said.

First-time bell-ringer Amy Lopez reiterated similar feelings.

"It’s a good cause and I feel like I’m helping people and the community," Lopez said.

Mel Heath, a member of the area Salvation Army committee, said the community is very supportive and there are many volunteers like Evanson and Lopez who make the program flourish.

"There are 240 two-hour slots to fill (bell-ringing) and we are able to fill all of them with volunteers," Heath said. "The citizens of this community are a very giving group of people."

All of the bell-ringers are members of the community and the only payment they receive is the satisfaction of helping others. Heath emphasized that the money collected in the community stays in the community.

"All the money we raise is spent here," he said.

Heath said the money goes to help people with rent, utilities, prescriptions, food, clothing, funeral costs, transportation, and a gamut of other things.

"You think of the need, we do it," Heath said. "We take care of everybody who falls through the cracks of government assistance."

He added that Salvation Army doesn’t discriminate against anyone, not even because of income.

"We help everyone, rich or poor," Heath said. "It just depends on what’s happening in their lives at the time."

Heath said that those who benefit from Salvation Army have no obligation to the program.

"We don’t loan money or loan things, we give them," he said. "Some people pay back (Salvation Army) by offering their services, like ringing the bell."

The Salvation Army board Heath sits on is composed of members of the community and is an effort in lieu of an official Salvation Army Post. Board members are volunteers from every walk of life including police officers, business owners, and everyday citizens, Heath said.

Heath added that the board functions around specific guidelines and members are required to fill in reports to send to Salvation Army headquarters.

"We’re carefully attended to." Heath said.

Heath and his wife Eva, are primarily responsible for distributing the funds where they see they’re needed.

"We’re free to work within the guidelines," Mel Heath said. "If we have a need beyond those guidelines I call the board members to help make decisions."

Board treasurer Mary Cook said, on the average, about $12,000 are collected locally each year.

"That money is kept here in the community," Cook said.

However, occasionally there are times when the money raised does not cover every need and Heath turns to local businesses and individuals.

"When I ask them, the answer is almost always ‘yes,’" he said.

Heath said the community is too small to support a post; the nearest official ones are in Grand Junction and Farmington.

Despite the lack of an official post, the Salvation Army is present in the area in a number of other forms.

Heath said there is a Salvation Army thrift store in Dolores that is run entirely by volunteers and donations. Even the building is provided free of rent by Corky McClain of Corky’s Plumbing.

"People who have money can buy things and the people who don’t have money are given things," Heath said.

Salvation Army also offers as a non-denominational church service in Dolores for people who are looking for a place they can feel comfortable.

"It’s for people who have holes in their britches and aren’t comfortable attending a main-line church," Heath said. "We try to take care of everyone."