$10,000 Anonymously Dropped Into Salvation Army Red Kettle

PORTLAND, OR — Standing in the cold, ringing a bell, and wishing happy holidays to each person who passes by can be a tiring, thankless job. But the volunteers for the Salvation Army who stand by their red kettles, taking donations from holiday shoppers scurrying past throughout the Christmas season, take pride in what they do because they know what it's all for.

For more than 130 years, the Salvation Army has annually raised funds through red kettle donations throughout the Portland metro region, with nearly 40 percent of the funds used for year-round services coming from the short period the red kettles are out, according to Salvation Army spokesman Capt. Jared Arnold.

"Most people put in loose change or small bills, which really adds up; but when a $100 bill is found, it is something that is celebrated and often very unexpected," Arnold said in a recent Salvation Army statement.

Volunteers for the Salvation Army's Moore Street Corps & Community Center in North Portland found an unexpected surprise Wednesday, Dec. 6, when a red kettle was opened to reveal 100 copies of Benjamin Franklin's face staring back at them.

The donation's anonymous benefactor remains unknown, Arnold said, but the incredible amount will go a long way toward helping families and individuals in-need throughout the community.

"It's incredible!" Moore Street Corps Officer Capt. Marcos Marquez said in the statement. "Whoever did this knows the good that will come of it; and while we do not know who put the money in the kettle, since the money was all in cash, they should know that we are very grateful to have received such a generous donation."

Arnold said organizers believe the $10,000 donation is the largest ever put into one kettle in the Portland area, which typically has more than 120 kettles setup at various stores from Washington County to Gresham.

"I was lucky enough to be the one who opened the kettle that night, amongst our kettle counting team," Marquez told Patch in an email. "I can tell you that we are all surprised and all very encouraged by the generosity of the donor. I just wish I knew who it was so I could personally thank them. But in reality, I wish I could personally thank everyone who contributes to the red kettle."

Marquez said the Moore Street Corps locations bring in between $2,000 and $3,500 every day — $10,000 donations notwithstanding.

"During the last two weeks of Christmas, they bring in between $4,000 and $7,000 daily — the highest amounts being from Thursday to Saturday," he said.

As of Dec. 2, red kettles in the Portland metro region have collected more than $232,600 — though that's only just more than 30 percent of the organization's $750,000 goal for the metro area in 2017.

"We are just a few weeks into our biggest fundraiser of the season," said Capt.Robert Steiner, the Salvation Army's Portland metro coordinator. "We are so grateful for the support the community shows us throughout the year, and with your help, we can reach our goal."

After so many weather-related disasters across the country and around the world this year, people are understandably suffering from "giving fatigue," Arnold wrote. "But whoever made this large donation understood that there are many needs to be addressed right in Portland."

Money that is donated to a Salvation Army red kettle reportedly stays in the community in which it was donated, Arnold wrote, adding that those donations go a long way toward helping more than 74,000 people in those communities through the services provided year-round by Salvation Army community centers, such as food assistance and after-school programs.

"For anyone who stands and rings a bell for The Salvation Army, they are told and encouraged that their efforts are helping those in the community," Marquez said. "If they are volunteering, they are not just giving a few hours of their day; they’re helping feed a family, clothing a person in-need, and providing greater stability for those experiencing hardship right in their neighborhoods."

The Salvation Army has set out red kettles every Christmas since the tradition began in 1891.

"I think the most important thing for people to know is that when you give in the red kettle, you’re not just giving to The Salvation Army; you’re giving right back into the community in which you live," Marquez continued. "We know that not everyone can give monetarily, but they can also give of their time. For those who want to take a few hours out of their season and ring a bell for The Salvation Army, they can do so by going to ringportland.org and signing up their interest.

"The season still has a ways to go," he continued. "While this donation is a major benefit to our goal, we do not want people to think that we’re done for the year. There is still an opportunity to ring or to give back to your community by donating to the work of The Salvation Army."

Watch Now: $10,000 Anonymously Dropped Into Salvation Army Red Kettle

Image via Salvation Army

This post has been updated with additional comments from Moore Street Corps Officer Capt. Marcos Marquez.