Salvation Army continues search for volunteers
Article Photos
By JOAN JOSEPHSON
OBSERVER Staff Writer
The Dunkirk Salvation Army is looking for volunteers willing to ring bells at area businesses in order to raise donations for this year's Christmas food baskets.
Dunkirk Salvation Army Captain Lenny Wacenske says the requests for these baskets has risen 50 percent over last year.
"We received over 400 applications from North County residents this year who reside anywhere from Silver Creek and Westfield to Cassadaga and Sinclairville," he said.
Beginning this week those individuals who will be receiving a Christmas basket filled with traditional holiday food will be notified when they may pick them up, he said.
The Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle Fund Drive raises the money needed for the Christmas basket purchases.
"With the increased number of applicants, we definitely need more donations to keep pace with these growing needs and in order to keep up with these donations, we need more bell ringers," he said.
Anyone interested in volunteering for this job may call Capt. Lenny at 366-3705 and leave their name and telephone number.
"I check on the messages frequently and will get back to the caller as soon as possible," he said.
The volunteers have several sites to work at including Fredonia's Walmart, Tops and the Peebles Stores in Dunkirk and the Quality stores in Dunkirk, Silver Creek and Westfield.
John Murgatroyd, a retired Brocton Central School teacher, has been responsible for a number of years with organizing the bell ringers who stand in front of the Fredonia Wal-Mart store.
"There are about 15 of us, including friends, fellow coffee drinkers, fellow teachers and a former students who ring bells at both the grocery and retail doors.
"They are there from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day for two hours at a time," he says.
When the weather turns bad, the volunteer work gets harder, he said, but added, "We're a tough bunch of people who are there to help where ever we can."
He also noted the bell ringers cannot move indoors when the weather gets nasty.
"In some cases, it has to do with interfering with customer traffic and in others, it has to do with store policy.
"But, like I said, we all feel the work is worth while and meets a growing community need," he said.
Again, anyone with a few hours to spare is asked to contact Captain Lenny. He'll be happy to provide an assignment to ring a bell for a good cause.
