ABOVE: Jennifer Bjornebo rings her bell and greets Hy-Vee shoppers at the store in Fairmont as she volunteers for the Salvation Army.

FAIRMONT – With the holiday season in full effect, the Martin County Salvation Army is looking for its bell ringer program to pick up steam and more volunteers.

In the program, folks ring bells looking for donations in their red bucket. Martin County Salvation Army Service Unit Board Chair Jason Subbert said the organization works to help impoverished people in several ways.

“We have a food shelf [where] we give about $41,000 a year,”he said. “That affects about 2,650 households throughout Martin County. We have a rent payment assistance program that we’ve helped people in fear of being homeless with about $13,000. We work on a back-to-school program which has 56 kids in Martin County and about $2,400 worth of worth of supplies given out.”

The Salvation Army spends around $76,000 a year on these, combined with its heat assistance program. Subbert said it is vital to keep these programs running in this community, especially.

“Martin County has the highest population of people who live at the poverty line or below in the entire state of Minnesota,” he said “It’s about 19 percent, almost one in five people live at or below the poverty line. The work the Salvation Army does in Martin County is really important because of that poverty line.”

According to ProJusticeMN, the poverty line is $15,060 for a one-person household, $20,440 for two, $25,820 for three and $31,200 for four people.

Subbert said the Salvation Army’s bell-ringing program is its main fundraising mechanism. Last year, it raised $22,750. This year they have been off to a slow start, but this is not entirely unexpected.

“I think it doesn’t matter which organization you visit with that needs volunteers to get the work done, the generations that have supported things in our communities are the older generations,” he said. “Getting younger people involved is a challenge, but it’s a changing time. I think organizations have to find ways to connect with every age group and help them find value in the work that gets done.”

By being a bell ringer, Subbert says you get to be a part of a historic tradition.

“Hearing a Salvation Army bell ringing, it doesn’t matter if you pick a movie like ‘Home Alone’ or ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’,” he said. “It’s a staple you see in our society around the holidays, right? It’s part of our culture and tradition that goes with it. You just get a chance to greet a lot of people.”

Shifts are 30 minutes at a time. While the thought of braving blustering cold winds comes to mind, by default shifts are done indoors. Currently, times are available at Fareway and Hy-Vee from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Bell ringers will also be at Walmart Saturdays and Sundays, but that will be run exclusively by Salvation Army Service members.

Subbert said many workplaces offer paid volunteer time off as well, so people can volunteer during work hours without worrying about lost wages.

“A lot of employers want to see you and encourage you to get involved in your community and give back,” he said.

Looking ahead, Subbert hopes to see continued adoption and support of groups like the Salvation Army that give back to the less fortunate.

“Get employers or groups that want to see an opportunity to make a difference as a group,” he said. “To say, ‘We should get involved in some type of organization to help others.’ Whether it be United Way, Salvation Army, local church, or food shelf, these all help people at that poverty line or below. I think we all have a responsibility to get involved to help others.”

Bell ringing is done through Dec. 21. In addition to dropping a donation in the kettle, checks can be mailed to Salvation Army of Martin County, 303 Downtown Plaza, Fairmont 56031.

For more information or to sign up for volunteering, visit www.registertoring.com or call 507-238-9797.