Kettle to the Metal

‘Tis the season, and for Karman and Marvin Lee that means it’s bell-ringing time. Ever since they were introduced to The Salvation Army 18 years ago, the couple has helped out wherever needed, especially during the Red Kettle Campaign, the local charity’s major fundraiser.

Since Thanksgiving, the campaign’s official kick-off date, the Lees have been busy ringing a bell and greeting shoppers by the entrances to Publix, Sam’s, and Walmart, hoping they will slip bills or loose change into the kettle’s slot.

“There are the children who come wide-eyed and put their pennies in,” says Marvin. “There was this boy, 8 or 10 years old, and he had a whole bag of money. His dad said he saves all year long for The Salvation Army. The fact that his son was thinking about others and not just at Christmastime really hit me. These little things just sort of stick in your mind.”

Karman smiles and adds, “We see people coming out of the store frowning, and when we smile and say ‘Merry Christmas,’ their faces just light up. Even if they don’t stop, we know we’ve helped brighten their day.”

The Lees have found that “God gives you a blessing every time you ring a bell.”

“Most people know that the money they give to The Salvation Army stays right here in Indian River County to help pay for things like the food pantry and children’s programs,” says Karman. “When we count money, we pray over every penny. We see what that money actually does, like sending a kid to camp who’s never been before. Right now there are people back in the kitchen cooking food for the homeless ministry. The Salvation Army puts feet on their prayers.”

The Lees didn’t know much about what the local charity does when they arrived in Vero Beach. That changed when Karman, a scrapbook enthusiast, was in a craft store searching for supplies when she met some kind women who got together at The Salvation Army to do scrapbooking. They invited her to join them.

“I had a great time; the ladies were so friendly. Then they invited me to a church service; it was just what I needed. I told Marvin and we’ve been involved ever since. He drives the bus, picks up food donations from Wawa three days a week, and on Tuesdays he brings children here for after-school programs.”

Marvin nods and adds, “I grew up in a poor family, and The Salvation Army provided a lot for us, particularly around Christmastime. You could say this is my way of paying it back. God gives us all a testimony. Ringing a bell and reaching out to help people in need is ours.”

As Captain Niuris Garcia, who, with her husband, Kelvin, heads up the local Salvation Army, points out, “The Red Kettle Campaign is critical in order for us to continue our services during the year. We have 4,000 volunteer hours to fill, and in 2020 we had a lot of bell ringers and realized over $220,000. The next year the number of ringers declined; so did the money we raised. It’s been on a downward trend since, and it’s impacted the work we’re able to do. We really need the trend to go up this year.”

The Lees are doing all they can to make that happen.

“The saying ‘Ring a bell, change a life’ is true,” says Karman. “This is what the spirit of Christmas is all about!”