My husband and I rang the bell for Salvation Army last year and my son just came home from ringing the bell with a group of teens tonight. We don't belong to the Salvation Army or anything, but enjoy giving of our time in this way during the Christmas season. We have a blast greeting the shoppers as they come in the store. We're energetic, cheerful & consider it a game if you can make eye contact and get people to talk and smile back.
In our small town in the Mid West, the Salvation Army does so much for our community. They give money to those who have a hard time paying for heating bills, they put on a summer-long camp experience for children whose parents have to work & they give them breakfast and a good lunch. The Salvation Army collects and gives away warm coats for all ages... the cold has hit our nation early this year & many folks are mighty glad that the Salvation Army is on their side.
So, if you find the bell ringer obnoxious, play a little game and see if you can get them to make eye contact with you and help them smile. It's not easy ringing those bells for a couple of hours in the cold!
