Salvation Army Kettle Drive a success
courtesy photo
Russ Barber, right, pastor of Polson Community Church, hands off the bell ringing trophy to Rev. Steven Yurosko of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
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News from Helping Hands
LAKE COUNTY — From the Friday after Thanksgiving to the day before Christmas, volunteers braved the cold and sometimes inclement weather standing in the entryways of Ronan Harvest Foods, Pablo Family Foods, Walmart and Super 1 Foods to ring the bell for the Salvation Army Kettle Drive. Proceeds from the Kettle Drive go directly to the Helping Hands Fund, SAFE Harbor for lodging, and to the Polson Police Department, who write vouchers when the Helping Hands Fund Office is closed. Ninety percent of the funds raised stay in Lake County to provide help with food, rent, gas, utilities, medications, transportation, lodging and meals to those in need. In addition, individuals are helped with more longterm resources.
The Drive this year proved to be a wonderful community effort with youth groups, community organizations, non-profits, and churches participating. The 2016 Kettle Drive produced a total of $15,870. The coveted “Bell Trophy” is awarded this year to St. Andrews Episcopal Church for collecting $1,180 and contributing the most volunteer hours. Honorable mention in Polson goes to Mission Mountain Enterprises and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Youth Group for raising the most money in one day, a total of $714. In Ronan and Pablo, St. Paul Lutheran Church volunteers raised $1,836. Faith Lutheran Church collected $497, which was the most money raised in one day for the southern portion of Lake County and deserves honorable mention.
A big “thank you” goes to all those who so generously contributed their time to ring the bell and to the Polson, Pablo, and Ronan Communities for your generosity in helping to fill the kettles.
