Gold Coin Dropped Into Salvation Army Red Kettle In Plainfield

PLAINFIELD, IL — As the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division received some holiday cheer.

A 1/10 ounce $5 American Gold Eagle coin was dropped into the Red Kettle outside the Jewel-Osco at 2480 Route 59 in Plainfield on Tuesday. The Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center will receive this donation, worth an estimated $250.

"I thought I saw someone put something in the kettle in a clear plastic sleeve, but I wasn’t really sure," said Salvation Army Joliet Corps bell ringer Charles Jackson. "I’ve been a bell ringer for more than 10 Christmases, and this is my first gold coin! I'm very thankful for that generous person who gave this wonderful gift to help others."

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign dates back to 1891 in San Francisco, when Captain Joseph McFee, a Salvation Army captain, was saddened by the hunger that he saw among his people. He wanted to provide free Christmas dinners but didn't know how to pay for them, according to The Salvation Army website.

One day he thought back to his time as a sailor in England and remembered how at Stage Landing, where the boats came in, there was a large iron kettle called "Simpson's Pot" into which passers-by tossed a coin or two to help the needy.

The next day, McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the kettle, he placed a sign that read: "Keep the Pot Boiling." Soon, the donations collected in that kettle provided the funds he needed to see that people in his city were properly fed at Christmas. Six years later, the idea spread from the west coast to the Boston area. That year, the combined effort nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners.

Gold and silver coins donated to The Salvation Army Red Kettles have become a much-anticipated holiday tradition of giving throughout Chicagoland.

While the kettles have only been out since Nov. 9, The Salvation Army launched the Rescue Christmas campaign nearly two months early this year to meet the significant increase in need. Some Salvation Army locations in Chicagoland have seen as much as a fivefold increase in requests for food and emergency assistance since the start of the pandemic.

"A $250 donation will help ensure seven children in our community receive Christmas gifts this year," said Envoy Scott Hurula, Corps Administrator for The Salvation Army Joliet Corps. "By dropping one coin in our kettle, a generous individual is providing hope to families in need."

For more information on The Salvation Army’s Rescue Christmas campaign, visit www.salarmychristmas.org.

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