Posted on 12/10/2005 2:02:21 PM PST by chemicalman
They've become as much a holiday tradition as wreaths and egg nog -- the Salvation Army bell ringers you see around town. But Salvation Army officials say it's getting harder and harder to find places to ring their bells, and it is costing them big.
The Salvation Army says it's getting harder each year to find major businesses willing to allow bell ringers to stand outside their business. Over the past few years, Target, Barnes and Noble, Home Depot and Toys R Us have removed bell ringers from their property. All of those stores had a large customer base willing to drop change into a big red kettle. Nationwide, that's a lot of change that Salvation Army is no longer receiving.
"It's a little more difficult this year," admitted Maj. Mark Satterlee, Salvation Army. "We've had more and more corporations that have decided not to allow the Salvation Army to ring in front of their stores this year, and that always makes it a little more difficult at the local level."
(Excerpt) Read more at wafb.com ...
I do not feel sorry for them. I will NEVER give the SA another dime. I went to volunteer through them (as a Christian organization) to help the Katrina victims. We were told we had to attend a 2 hour orientation.
I went to the orientation with my best friend at the SA headquarters in Denver . We were subjected to 2 hours of the most vile PC bilge I have ever heard. Most of the talk was about how living through Katrina was just like slavery, and that being in the Superdome was like being a slave on the middle passage. I belive if you can say this with a straight face, you have no clue what slavery was like, much less the middle passage.
That said, I was willing to sit through that to be able to minister as a Christian to those in need. BUT WAIT--among other things we were told that we would not be able to speak to the evacuees about God--you see they might be mad at God for the hurricane, and we couldn't upset them. You could not even say God bless to them
To alert us to how serious they were about this and may other PC restrictions, they informed us that they had escorted volunteers out of the facilities under armed guard. I wish this rant was sarcasm, but it is not.
The SA has left its Christian roots and become a totally koolaid drinking PC agency. They have seen their last money from me, I will give to the rescue missions instead.
I went to Wal-Mart last week, and there was a S.A. bell
ringer there..i was sort of surprised to see him.
But strangely, he was near the entrance by the
gardening are side, rather than the entrance near
the grocery section side...i wonder if he was told
to set up near that door...Still in all, i gave him
my change as i drove by him on the way out.
The last time I was at the EEEVILLL WALL-MART store the bell ringers were there.
Re: Donations to New Hampshire Salvation Army:
Capt. Travis Delong (603) 352-0607
After college, my first employer reqired each employee give his/her "fair share" to the United Way. (The "Fair share" was a percentage of your base income). After that sad
experience, I never gave my so-called "fair share" again but I did donate to specific charities through them. After all the PC infected them I ceased any contributions whatsoever to UW.
I stopped giving when I found out planned parenthood was one of the agencies they supported. I believe they have since dropped PP because of the decrease in giving (this was 10 yrs ago or so)
Us,too!
Shame indeed.
And you can put bills as well as coins in the slot in the top.They are designed so the kettle has to be opened back at the office.
If the post about relief workers for Katrina is correct it is probably imposed by the gov't. There is a concerted effort to stamp out God from America all the while tolerating and exalting "AllAh".Pragmatically speaking I think it better to go with God who sent His only Son.
All I know is that my wife and I will be ringing our bells December 16 from 6 PM until 8 PM at the Krogers in Johnson City, TN near ETSU.
Any FReepers, who wish to visit, should bring some money.
It is correct, and I was floored when I went to the meeting. There were NO government officials at the orientation and it was held at the SA headquarters, so I can only surmise this is SA policy
I heard their management changed 2 years ago and that is when all this started, but I cannot verify that.
SA is one of the most efficient charity organizations in the country. They have a long heritage of serving the poor and downtrodden. I admire them for their unswerving dedication to charitable goals. They are one of my charities. I give to them directly as I do BSA
They are Christian and Christians are verboten.
Is there behind the scenes pressure from homosexual employees groups?
This is NOT SA policy.. I can assure you of that.. the person in charge of the orientation you were at does NOT speak for the rest of the organization.. I have close ties with the majority of them stick to Christian principles and aren't swayed by PC morays.
BTW, just to be accurate... Target has reversed its policy regarding bellringers due to pressure from the public. It now allows them.
I hope this is true--because we have a dearth of truly Christian organizations to support. After the holidays I need to do some research, and call the SA and ask them about the orientation. Believe me, I did not post the worst of the PC stuff we had thrown at us, and I would like very much to believe this is not their policy.
Thanks for this info, I will check it out and give them another chance.
Solution:
Donate more to charity this season and spend less on gifts for the grownups.
When the big corporations see that their take is shrinking they'll come around.
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