Stewartville Lions Club Ringing for Over a Decade
The town of Stewartville (‘Stoortville,’ if you want to sound like a local) is situated ten minutes south of Rochester, MN. Full of kind, friendly, small-town Minnesotans, it’s no surprise that The Salvation Army red kettle at the grocery store in this town is well staffed with volunteer bell ringers during the six weeks before Christmas.
This is largely due to the incredible commitment of the Stewartville Lions Club. Chartered in 1968, this group of 45 men and women have rung the bells all day every Friday and Saturday for the entirety of the Red Kettle season for over a decade.
“This amasses to over 120 hours of bell ringing for one club,” said Rebecca Snapp, Community Engagement Director at The Salvation Army, “this club raises between $5,000 and $10,000 just with their volunteer time every year.”
The Stewartville Lions Club are one of 15 groups of bell ringers who raise an excess of $5,000 every year through their volunteer time. “I hope they recognize the value of the time they give, because our bell ringing campaign raises a third of our annual budget and they’re a critical part of us raising the money we need to help people,” said Snapp.
Dollars raised by the Stewartville Lions, and volunteer bell ringers across Olmsted County, MN, directly support thousands of people in need of healthcare, housing, a myriad of basic needs social services, and most of all, hope. Specific programs include an apartment complex for individuals struggling with long-term homelessness, a transitional housing program that helps homeless families return to housing, a clinic that provides medical care, dental care, and pharmaceuticals to patients without or with too little insurance to cover the costs of their care, rent and utility assistance a daily served meal, downtown food shelf, youth programs, and more.
“The need is ever growing,” said Snapp, “Not only are we a part of a community that’s expanding, but we live in tumultuous times. Gas and grocery prices have really hit people this year, and it’s increasingly more important that we raise the dollars we need to meet the need. That’s another reason volunteers who bell ring are so important: they are able to help us connect with the wider community so that people understand how many services they support when they give to a red kettle.”
Chuck Murphy, the Lions Club who coordinates bell ringing shifts for the group each year, shared “everyone thoroughly enjoys this. We get such a great response from the club members and their families. People just look forward to it.”
“The Stewartville Lions Club truly sets the standard for volunteers,” said Snapp, “It’s not only about the generous amount of time they give, it’s about the quality of their service. They’re friendly, they’re kind, and they represent The Salvation Army in the best possible way. We hope the whole club knows how much we appreciate everything they do.”
More information about the Stewartville Lions Club can be found here. To register to ring a bell in Olmsted County, MN, please visit RochesterSA.org or call 507-288-3663.