Bell ringer profile: First-time ringers enjoy ‘beautiful moments’ at the Red Kettles

Grant Benson and Cara Coughlin are first-time bell ringers who enjoyed every minute of their volunteer experience at the Red Kettle outside Lunds & Byerlys in Roseville on Dec. 9. Both work for Maguire Agency, an insurance brokerage firm. 

“I would encourage everyone to take the plunge and try bell ringing,” Cara said. “You get away from the screens and have these one-on-one conversations, these beautiful moments with your community. These little touch points – smiling, saying Merry Christmas – really can make someone’s day.” 

Grant enjoyed ringing for all the same reasons.

“There’s no better way to get into the Christmas spirit,” said Grant, who played holiday music on a Bluetooth speaker while he rang with Cara. “We’re supporting a good cause and having fun while we’re doing it.”

This is not the first time that Maguire Agency employees have volunteered at the Red Kettles. For several years, the company has “taken over” a Red Kettle for large chunks of time and staffed it with employees who ring for one- or two-hour shifts – a common practice among companies that want to give back to the communities in which they do business.

Grant and Cara got the idea to ring through their company’s social responsibility committee. 

“One of the things I love about Maguire is that the company values and has a clear commitment to giving back to the community,” Cara said. “When this opportunity to do bell ringing came up, I jumped at it." 

Another reason Grant volunteered was to experience the same joy that bell ringing has brought to members of his own family.

“My grandmas on both sides have been ringing for years, so this is personal for me,” he said. “It holds a special place in my heart.”

Now that Grant and Cara know how fun and meaningful bell ringing can be, they are likely to return to the Red Kettles.

“We support The Salvation Army because we see how fortunate we have been – and we want to spread that out into the community to people who might not have the family or the love they deserve at this time of year,” Grant said. “We all can give back some of the things we are so fortunate to have.”

2025 Red Kettle season

This holiday season, give joy to families in need by ringing bells for The Salvation Army. Sign up to ring 

Your time at a Red Kettle will be a huge help for local families who need food, shelter and care. Bell ringers typically raise about $100 per hour – enough to feed three families for week, or help save a family from eviction.   

Bell ringing is fun and easy, with hundreds of kettle locations throughout Minnesota and North Dakota. Spread more joy by recruiting your friends, family and coworkers to join you. 

Thousands of volunteer bell ringers are needed. Sign up now and help The Salvation Army provide a merry Christmas for people in need. 

This Christmas season, support The Salvation Army by giving a donation or ringing bells at a Red Kettle. Your generosity will bring joy to local families in need.