The Salvation Army has always been our family's favorite charity. When my parents arrived in New York Harbor on a cold November day, having escaped newly communist Czechoslovakia, they were greeted by the Salvation Army. Mom and Dad received their first cups of hot coffee in America from these wonderful people. They and their fellow passengers from war-devastated Europe were cold, seasick and scared. Being welcomed to their new home by the Salvation Army touched them deeply, and they've contributed ever since. I carry on the tradition with my own family.
Salvation Army employees are paid modestly, and overhead costs are kept very low. Sally is quick to get people on the ground in places where tragedy strikes, and they never ask for repayment for their aid. The Christmas bell ringers are often people who were lifted up from lives of misery, much as you've described. They do much good in this world.