This was me and my wife's second year ringing bells for the Salvation Army. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, church members representing all walks of life spend afternoons and evenings at Publix on Bayshore Boulevard (Tampa) ringing and smiling to the steady flow of patrons entering and exiting the store. It's a small way to help make God's love real, while experiencing the joy of young and old who fill the red bucket with expressions of love. If you've never been a bell ringer, perhaps answer the call next year to help collect change -- to affect change.
Here are a couple of the crews from the Thursday, December 17 shifts:
Above: Pam Carpenter and Jerri Rollins
Above: Angelique and Drema Muller
Our family rang the Salvation Army bells at JCPenny in the Governor's Square Mall Tallahassee. Our 7 year old suggested it and we had a great time! Way to go HPUMC by Making God's Love Real!
Posted by: Erick Ashley | December 18, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Ken and I will be ringing the bell tonight at that Publix. It's a great tradition for us and Hyde Park. This year we have a prime slot (we hope)for generous giving--rush hour the Friday night before Christmas! Looking forward to it. Come and See.
Posted by: Martha Chamberlain | December 18, 2009 at 02:42 PM
Awesome, Martha. They have two bells there, you know. Maybe you and Ken can work out a little musical number!
Posted by: John Parrish | December 18, 2009 at 02:51 PM