WAUKESHA, Wis. — The Salvation Army in Waukesha County is missing multiple bells and a red donation kettle. They are hoping someone does the right thing and brings them back, since the Salvation Army is currently struggling for donations this holiday season.
It's a sound of the season. The ring of the Salvation Army bells next to a red donation kettle. But two weeks ago, the Salvation Army had a dozen bells taken, along with a kettle.
“What are your thoughts?” asked reporter Rebecca Klopf.
“Some low scumbag would do that,” said Pat Madden, a volunteer for the Salvation Army.
“I don’t feel it was a needy person because a needy person would have come to us and asked,” said Dennis Meyer, a volunteer with the Salvation Army.
Watch: Salvation Army begs for the return of their red kettle, missing bells
Pat and Dennis say a kettle could have hundreds of dollars inside of it. Money that the Salvation Army uses for its program.
“We need that funding to run all of the mission programs. Three of our major programs include the Emergency Shelter for Homeless Men and the food pantry that is utilized heavily,” said Josh Pham, kettle coordinator for the Salvation Army. “Then we have a community meal program we operate.”
This year, the Red Kettle Campaign in Waukesha County is down $300,000 for their goal. So every dollar counts. A bell costs $20 to replace, and someone took 12 bells from locations in Waukesha, Pewaukee, and Muskego.
“Most of these bells are 30 years old. These are old Salvation Army Bells,” said Major Victor Stasiuc, Waukesha corps officer for the Salvation Army.
“Things like this just don’t happen. We feel like if folks need help, come to us and we [will] help them,” said Josh.
The Salvation Army is urging the person who took the kettle, and or the bells, to just bring them back.
They can do so either at their headquarters, or leave them where they were taken from no questions asked.
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