The Salvation Army got started in Vancouver just before Christmas, 1890. Go hunting around near the bottom of Main Street and you’ll spot a plaque that marks the very spot.
Volunteer bell ringers are always welcome.
Visit the Salvation Army’s website; or call J.D. Chandra, financial administrator for the Vancouver branch, at 360-448-2874; or email jd.chandra@usw.salvationarmy.org.
We don’t think anybody was collecting spare change while wearing a red Santa suit and ringing a bell that year — because, according to the Salvation Army itself, that tradition began on the docks of San Francisco in 1891. The first red kettle was a repurposed crab pot.
Well over a century later, the red kettle has become a universal symbol of effortless charitable giving during the holidays. And on Thursday, local mayors, elected officials and other VIPs were ringing bells at Fred Meyer stores all over Clark County in what’s known as the annual Kettle Kick Off. The money collected for the Vancouver branch of the Salvation Army supports local programs that stave off homelessness and feed hungry families.
