Saturday morning was a bit chillier than I expected as I headed out the door of my warm house to ring the bell for the Salvation Army.

It did not take long for me to wish I had remembered my jacket as it was chilly for Southeast Texas. 

As I navigated my way through my phone to text a friend who lived nearby, I hear a familiar voice from across the parking lot. It was the very person I was texting! 

My wonderful friend, to whom I am forever grateful, bought me a jacket while she was in the store.

However, this is not about her amazing gesture, which I truly do appreciate. This is about the thought I had while standing there in the cold air.

What about those children waiting for a bus in the morning who do not have a jacket and their parents cannot afford one? Who will provide them with the needed warmth as they wait for that warm bus? A bus, I might add, I do not recall as being too warm because the door kept opening to let more people on.

The ones donating as they walk past the infamous red kettles around Orange County this holiday season are the ones helping buy those much-needed jackets.

This year Salvation Army hopes to raise $85,000 through the red kettle donations, a $20,000 increase over last year’s donations.

The donations from the kettles are what allows the organization to help make Christmas possible for the over 300 children registered for assistance this year.

There are still plenty of time slots available for those who would like to give back by ringing the bell this year. To volunteer, visit registertoring.com

 

Dawn Burleigh is the general manager and editor of The Orange Leader. She can be reached at dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com