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Ah, Christmas. The decorations, the carols, the hustle-and-bustle....
....the Salvation Army Christmas Kettles....
They're everywhere. Kettles (or "bubbles", as they've come to be known in Canada) pop up everywhere each December: in malls, in grocery stores, on street corners... Sometimes accompanied by a small brass group playing carols, but always manned by at least one person: the Kettle Worker.
Ah, the memories...the sore feet, tired back, aching face muscles (gotta keep smiling, you know!)...kinda makes me glad I don't do them anymore! There are those, of course, for whom the Kettles are a major area of ministry. And to them I say, God Bless You!
I have to admit, the people-watching did make it interesting at times. It seems we were magnets for people needing directions - I even had someone ask me how to find Don Brown Funeral Home! It was also amusing, in a way, to hear the various excuses people would give as to why they "couldn't" put any money in the bubble. I guess some people felt a little guilty? Of course, the most oft-heard line was, "I gave at the office"...yeah, like we all haven't heard that one before! I think the funniest was the lady who asked for directions to the funeral home - she told me she couldn't give anything because she was on disability.... (that bad, eh?).....
It was also interesting to watch the reactions when someone I knew would see me on the Kettle. People I knew from the Army would always stop and chat, offer some encouragement, and sometimes a coffee. The really nice ones would offer to watch the Kettle while I took a pee break! People I knew from outside the Army, though, were very different. They would comment about me "getting some volunteer work in", or look at me with a "Huh?" expression on their faces. Some actually chose to ignore me altogether, although I don't if it might just have been a case of not recognising me -- we do tend to look entirely different when we're in uniform. (especially back in the days of ladies' hats!!)
And, of course, I'll never forget the contest each year between me and Barb Beattie: whoever made more in their Kettles over the season got a Tim Horton's coffee from the loser. I seem to recall getting a free coffee every Christmas!....
It's been interesting to see the evolution of the Kettles and their workers over the years. When I was working them (as a teenager and early twenties), it was un-heard-of to man a Kettle while not wearing full Salvation Army uniform (hats included!). We had guidelines to follow: no sitting down, unless it is just for a couple of minutes an hour to rest, no leaving your post unless it's a medical emergency, wear full uniform, or if you don't have a uniform, something equally dressy, smile, say "Thank you, Merry Christmas!" to all who dropped so much as a penny in the bubble...
Oh, how times have changed....
I cringed (both inwardly and outwardly) the year that all Kettle workers were provided with WalMart-like bibs to wear, and those in uniform were actually told NOT to wear uniform. Huh?? Talk about scruffy-looking! I actually had a gentleman come up to me one year, and tell me that he had stopped donating to the Kettles, because the Army was manning their Kettles with un-uniformed people! Not that that's a legitimate reason for not giving, but it just goes to show how the public perceives the importance of uniform.
I do have an on-going complaint, though. It's about these bored-looking people dressed in jeans and sweaters, slouched on a bench or chair, broadcasting on their faces the foremost thought in their head: "WHEN WILL THIS ETERNAL SHIFT END???" I can't deny thinking that very thought on some of my own shifts in the past, but it's another thing to act like it! Paste a smile on your face, pretend this is something you really want to do, and believe it or not, the shift will actually go faster!! (and I'm sorry, it really annoys me when a Kettle worker says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"!!!)
One of the longest-running debates I've come across when it comes to the Kettles, is the issue of volunteer vs. paid Kettle-worker. One shift, I had an older lady approach me (with a bit of a superior air), and comment, "I heard in my ladies group that you people actually get PAID to attend these Kettles." My only response could be the truth: yes, we did get paid. "Oh," was her response, as she turned away (with nose in the air). Well, Merry Christmas to you, too! I guess there are those who feel that it's an absolute sin to be paid to work for the Army.
To those who don't understand the process or situation, let me explain. Since most Kettles are located in shopping centres, it's actually law that the workers be paid. (at least, that's my understanding) It's not like they're paid a whole lot - usually minimum wage. The worker does not get a percentage of the Kettle money, in fact, the wages come from an entirely different bank account. There certainly are those workers who prefer to consider themselves volunteers, and I have seen many a worker endorse their pay cheque, and either hand it right back to the person who gave it to them, or put it into the next Kettle they see. What they do with that money is their prerogative.
Do you think you're in a position to judge a Kettle worker as to whether they should be paid, or volunteer? Consider this: when I attended Stoney Creek Corps, there were many Kettle workers who weren't even members of the church. They were actually people who were unemployed, on government assistance, or just couldn't make enough at their "day job" to make ends meet. The opportunity to work on the Kettles allowed them to earn money so they could actually have a Christmas. I, for one, was a university student when I worked the Kettles, so the money I earned was desperately needed to pay for school, and to afford to buy gifts for my family that I otherwise would not have had the money to buy.
The Army provides assistance in many ways. The funds from the Kettles themselves go to fund toys for children, and meals for the hungry. The wages paid to Kettle workers assist the workers through the Christmas season. Think about it: would you go and stand in one place (sometimes a very cold place) for hours at a time, if you didn't have to? And don't forget, you have no way of knowing if that person is actually keeping their wages, or if they're handing the money right back to the Army.
And quite frankly, it's none of your business.
I have to admit, though, now that Kettle season is once again upon us, I'm kinda glad that I'm too busy to work any Kettles. Who knows, I may work them again in the future, but only if I have a really, really comfortable pair of shoes....
...and a whole lot of patience.....
....the Salvation Army Christmas Kettles....
They're everywhere. Kettles (or "bubbles", as they've come to be known in Canada) pop up everywhere each December: in malls, in grocery stores, on street corners... Sometimes accompanied by a small brass group playing carols, but always manned by at least one person: the Kettle Worker.
Ah, the memories...the sore feet, tired back, aching face muscles (gotta keep smiling, you know!)...kinda makes me glad I don't do them anymore! There are those, of course, for whom the Kettles are a major area of ministry. And to them I say, God Bless You!
I have to admit, the people-watching did make it interesting at times. It seems we were magnets for people needing directions - I even had someone ask me how to find Don Brown Funeral Home! It was also amusing, in a way, to hear the various excuses people would give as to why they "couldn't" put any money in the bubble. I guess some people felt a little guilty? Of course, the most oft-heard line was, "I gave at the office"...yeah, like we all haven't heard that one before! I think the funniest was the lady who asked for directions to the funeral home - she told me she couldn't give anything because she was on disability.... (that bad, eh?).....
It was also interesting to watch the reactions when someone I knew would see me on the Kettle. People I knew from the Army would always stop and chat, offer some encouragement, and sometimes a coffee. The really nice ones would offer to watch the Kettle while I took a pee break! People I knew from outside the Army, though, were very different. They would comment about me "getting some volunteer work in", or look at me with a "Huh?" expression on their faces. Some actually chose to ignore me altogether, although I don't if it might just have been a case of not recognising me -- we do tend to look entirely different when we're in uniform. (especially back in the days of ladies' hats!!)
And, of course, I'll never forget the contest each year between me and Barb Beattie: whoever made more in their Kettles over the season got a Tim Horton's coffee from the loser. I seem to recall getting a free coffee every Christmas!....
It's been interesting to see the evolution of the Kettles and their workers over the years. When I was working them (as a teenager and early twenties), it was un-heard-of to man a Kettle while not wearing full Salvation Army uniform (hats included!). We had guidelines to follow: no sitting down, unless it is just for a couple of minutes an hour to rest, no leaving your post unless it's a medical emergency, wear full uniform, or if you don't have a uniform, something equally dressy, smile, say "Thank you, Merry Christmas!" to all who dropped so much as a penny in the bubble...
Oh, how times have changed....
I cringed (both inwardly and outwardly) the year that all Kettle workers were provided with WalMart-like bibs to wear, and those in uniform were actually told NOT to wear uniform. Huh?? Talk about scruffy-looking! I actually had a gentleman come up to me one year, and tell me that he had stopped donating to the Kettles, because the Army was manning their Kettles with un-uniformed people! Not that that's a legitimate reason for not giving, but it just goes to show how the public perceives the importance of uniform.
I do have an on-going complaint, though. It's about these bored-looking people dressed in jeans and sweaters, slouched on a bench or chair, broadcasting on their faces the foremost thought in their head: "WHEN WILL THIS ETERNAL SHIFT END???" I can't deny thinking that very thought on some of my own shifts in the past, but it's another thing to act like it! Paste a smile on your face, pretend this is something you really want to do, and believe it or not, the shift will actually go faster!! (and I'm sorry, it really annoys me when a Kettle worker says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas"!!!)
One of the longest-running debates I've come across when it comes to the Kettles, is the issue of volunteer vs. paid Kettle-worker. One shift, I had an older lady approach me (with a bit of a superior air), and comment, "I heard in my ladies group that you people actually get PAID to attend these Kettles." My only response could be the truth: yes, we did get paid. "Oh," was her response, as she turned away (with nose in the air). Well, Merry Christmas to you, too! I guess there are those who feel that it's an absolute sin to be paid to work for the Army.
To those who don't understand the process or situation, let me explain. Since most Kettles are located in shopping centres, it's actually law that the workers be paid. (at least, that's my understanding) It's not like they're paid a whole lot - usually minimum wage. The worker does not get a percentage of the Kettle money, in fact, the wages come from an entirely different bank account. There certainly are those workers who prefer to consider themselves volunteers, and I have seen many a worker endorse their pay cheque, and either hand it right back to the person who gave it to them, or put it into the next Kettle they see. What they do with that money is their prerogative.
Do you think you're in a position to judge a Kettle worker as to whether they should be paid, or volunteer? Consider this: when I attended Stoney Creek Corps, there were many Kettle workers who weren't even members of the church. They were actually people who were unemployed, on government assistance, or just couldn't make enough at their "day job" to make ends meet. The opportunity to work on the Kettles allowed them to earn money so they could actually have a Christmas. I, for one, was a university student when I worked the Kettles, so the money I earned was desperately needed to pay for school, and to afford to buy gifts for my family that I otherwise would not have had the money to buy.
The Army provides assistance in many ways. The funds from the Kettles themselves go to fund toys for children, and meals for the hungry. The wages paid to Kettle workers assist the workers through the Christmas season. Think about it: would you go and stand in one place (sometimes a very cold place) for hours at a time, if you didn't have to? And don't forget, you have no way of knowing if that person is actually keeping their wages, or if they're handing the money right back to the Army.
And quite frankly, it's none of your business.
I have to admit, though, now that Kettle season is once again upon us, I'm kinda glad that I'm too busy to work any Kettles. Who knows, I may work them again in the future, but only if I have a really, really comfortable pair of shoes....
...and a whole lot of patience.....
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