Bell ringers are sorely needed to man kettles in Canadian County as organizers say Salvation Army is rebuilding its presence in the community.
Canadian County Director Leslie Johnson said the charity is on the verge of opening a local office at 201 S. Bickford in El Reno. Once the 6,000-square-foot facility is ready, she said she will be able to take requests for utility and rent assistance there, instead of through the Community Action Agency and Yukon Sharing.
The center could also be home to a Boys and Girls Club, offering tutoring and activities after school to teens. For these plans to become reality, Johnson said every dime raised this Christmas season in Canadian County is critical.
“Every dollar that is raised in Canadian County absolutely stays in Canadian County,” she said.
Still, Johnson is struggling to find enough volunteers to keep the bells ringing. Salvation Army has kettles at all Canadian County Wal-Mart and Homeland store locations, as well as at Bank of Commerce branches.
Johnson is also recruiting businesses to keep small red kettles on their countertops to raise more funds.
“We have had some great people out here,” she said.

Salvation Army faces transition
Salvation Army changed its presence in Canadian County over the past two years.
In May 2009, Salvation Army Divisional Command dissolved Canadian County's 20-year-old service unit after board members tried to separate from the local United Way. No services were offered for months in Canadian County until September 2009 when the unit reformed under different leadership.
Then in early 2010, Salvation Army officials decided to re-organize services, combining efforts in Canadian, Cleveland and Oklahoma counties under a Central Oklahoma Area Command. Instead of having a local service unit board, Canadian County now has a nine-member advisory council.
At that time, Salvation Army officials decided to open a Canadian County office in El Reno and hire two paid staff. Johnson said they also plan to have a traveling case worker who will spend time in Mustang and Yukon helping the needy in those communities who may not be able to afford the drive to El Reno.
“We have a service center in Canadian County now,” she said. “We will be able to provide services here.”

Rebuilding local reputation
Johnson volunteered in 2009 to organize the bell ringing effort while she was working at Youth and Family Services and serving on Canadian County's Salvation Army committee. She struggled in face of the changes and the faltering economy, which made the Salvation Army's services so needed. The 2009 bell ringing campaign fell short, raising $23,758 in Canadian County. Donations were down $15,000 from $38,749 raised in 2008.
This summer, Salvation Army officials reported the charity was able to continue offering about $2,500 in aid each month — $1,000 earmarked for western Canadian County residents and $1,500 for Yukon, Piedmont and Mustang area residents. The majority of that aid is offered in housing and utility assistance.
However in Mustang, civic leaders report needy residents have had mixed results when seeking help from the Salvation Army through Yukon Sharing. They say some Mustang residents were turned away in confusion even though the Salvation Army money is supposed to be allocated for all of eastern Canadian County.
Opening the new office should make seeking help easier, Johnson said.
Canadian County Salvation Army is also battling a misconception. While in some areas, Salvation Army is paying some bellringers, she said that is not happening in Canadian County. Johnson said she is unsure of the policy in Oklahoma County.
“We are trying to hold onto as many of those dollars for programs and services,” she said.

Finding joy in helping
Last Christmas, Mustang resident Leo Laxton volunteered to help Johnson fill in the gaps bell ringing at his neighborhood Wal-Mart store.
He said he can't wait to get out there again this season. Even though some days were blustery, Laxton said he still had fun.
“I got happiness,” he said. “Maybe it was going to help someone that needed it.”