Family tradition includes bell-ringing

Amy Gallo’s family likes to ring in the holidays.

In fact, all eight members of the Gallo family are volunteer bell-ringers for the Salvation Army.

“It’s a tradition for us. That’s how we start our holidays the day after Thanksgiving,” Gallo says.

The Salvation Army red kettles and hand bells were pulled out Friday for the annual fundraising drive that lasts through Dec. 23 at 22 sites around Clarksville.

“We’ve done this for six or seven years. We book an entire day at one site, and all of us spilt up into two-hour shifts, and the day goes by pretty fast,” Gallo says with a chuckle.

The Gallo family and Jim Crosby are some of the people who withstand the cold and rain to support the Salvation Army.

Crosby and his buddies from the New Providence Civitan Club are staunch advocates of the Salvation Army because they believe in helping their neighbors.

Volunteer spirit

Last year, 2,178 volunteers donated time and energy to accept donations so that the local Salvation Army can supplement its Angel Tree program, provide food for disadvantaged families, provides Christmas gifts for residents in nursing homes and operate of the homeless shelter.

“I’ve been doing the kettle drive every Saturday for 20 years,” Crosby says. “The weather isn’t too bad, we wrap up real good.”

He stresses the donations of passersby make a difference in people’s lives.

“We get people all the time that say they are giving because at one time or another they were helped,” Crosby says. “There was one young man last year who came up to me and said ‘Here, I’m giving this money because they helped me and my mama when we was really down.’”

“This kettle drive is one of many volunteer things that we do as a club because we feel it’s one of our duties to help out,” he says.

Gallo says her children anticipate the annual kettle drive and dismiss any inclement weather as par for the course. The day after Thanksgiving isn’t the only time the Gallo brood swing hand bells — this family, like many other people, are repeat volunteers.

“Sure, your nose freezes some times. We try to stand at the same places each year, so there are a lot of people who are familiar with our faces,” Gallo says.

Donations’ impact

Maj. Vicki Stefanik of the local Salvation Army says $103,165.84 was raised locally last year during the red kettle drive. This year’s goal is $113,000.

One hundred thousand dollars sounds like a lot of money, but when you consider that almost 700 local families signed up last year for the Angel Tree program (which included 1,544 children), food for a holiday meal for almost 700 families, gifts for the elderly in nursing homes who don’t have family nearby, and meals for housebound senior citizens — Stefanik says the money goes fast.

For example, a child’s winter coat can cost $30 to $50. When you do the math, the cost of 1,500 kids coats adds up quickly. Or maybe a pair of pajamas at $15 each — the cost for a new set of PJs for 1,500 little boys and girls could run about $22,000.

“They thank you with tears in their eyes because they know they wouldn’t have had Christmas for their kids otherwise,” Stefanik says. “Many people live paycheck to paycheck, and if they miss a paycheck for any reason, it spirals downward fast — especially if you have kids to support.”

You don’t have to convince Crosby and Gallo of the positive impact that the Salvation Army effort offers their Montgomery County neighbors.

“To me volunteering as a kettle bell ringer is a perfect way to show our children community involvement takes action,” Gallo says. “It is my hope that my children will continue bell ringing with their children.”