Ringing Charity's Bell

Ringing Charity's Bell

Busy shoppers vie for space in the crowded Wal-Mart parking lot in Grand Island, Neb. After parking their cars, they scurry through the lot toward the door to get out of the cold. Despite the hectic pace of the season, Al Anderson stands patiently at his post outside the store, greeting shoppers with an infectious smile and warm well wishes.

“Merry Christmas,” says Anderson, opening the door for an elderly couple.

“Thank you kindly and have a great day,” he replies as another shopper drops a handful of coins into his red metal bucket.

Anderson, 49, who changes oil at Russ’s Quick Lube when he’s not jingling his Salvation Army bell, jokes with cart boys and chats with acquaintances that stop by to surprise him with hot chocolate and food. Through it all, he never hesitates to share the magic of his smile.

Anderson is one of nearly 1 million volunteer Salvation Army bell ringers who man 20,000 buckets nationwide each holiday season. His loving nature epitomizes the 112-year-old tradition of collecting money for the less fortunate.

In 1891, Salvation Army Capt. Joseph McFee of San Francisco needed money for a Christmas dinner for the poor along the wharf. He found an old black cooking pot and placed the now famous “sharing is caring” sign above it, ringing a bell to attract attention. The fundraiser was so successful that when his assistant moved to Boston, he took the idea with him. From there it became an annual tradition, spreading throughout the country until it became the most visible of all of the Salvation Army’s fund-raising campaigns.

In the tradition of Capt. McFee, and with the same generous heart, Anderson truly enjoys the time he spends collecting for the Salvation Army. For four hours a night, four nights a week, shoppers in Grand Island are treated to much more than the sound of his bell and the sight of his bucket.

“We call him Al ‘I love this place’ Anderson,” says Deb Dorsey, who coordinates the bell ringers’ schedules for the Salvation Army’s Grand Island chapter. “His attitude is very contagious. He just really loves people and it shows.”

“Like the sign says, it’s about sharing and caring,” says Anderson, who won top honors for the most donations collected in Grand Island (pop. 42,940) for both the 2001 and 2002 holiday seasons.

He began ringing bells for the Salvation Army seven years ago when a friend and fellow bell ringer asked him to help. The two came up with a friendly challenge to determine who could collect the most money. The competition has been a standard for them ever since.

“Al has helped a lot of people in this town,” says James Martinez, Anderson’s employer and owner of Russ’s Quick Lube. “He’s even helped me personally and members of my extended family. Al is really dedicated to his community and he has such a giving nature. We’re glad to have an employee like him and we’re proud to help him contribute in any way we can.”

Despite being one of Grand Island’s most successful bell ringers, Anderson doesn’t see himself doing anything special. Plus, he feels good about the time he devotes to charity work.

“I get a lot of serenity out of this,” he says. “I’ve been down and out before and I went to the Salvation Army. I did community service for them years ago and I knew they were great people. I guess you could say I do it for the spirit of Christmas.”

Anderson also realizes his own efforts would be meaningless without the generosity of others who drop their dollar bills and spare change into his red metal bucket.

“You just have to have faith in people, that’s all,” he adds.

Robin E. Shirley is a freelance writer in North Platte, Neb.

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