To volunteer as a bell ringer, call (608) 757-8300.
JANESVILLE — It’ll be Christmas in July at several grocery stores around Janesville next month.
The Janesville Salvation Army will hold a special bell-ringing session Friday and Saturday, July 17-18, to stock up its food pantry. Volunteers will ring bells and collect donations at Walmart, 3800 Deerfield Drive; Woodman’s, 2819 N. Lexington Drive; and Logli’s, 1501 Creston Park Drive.
This is the first time Janesville has had a summer bell-ringing session, though other chapters have done it, Capt. Kirk Schuetz said. A few other Wisconsin chapters also will ring bells this summer, he said.
The chapter is hoping to raise a few thousand dollars to boost its pantry. It has already given away most of the food collected by the Boy Scouts and postal carrier food drives, according to a news release.
“We’re just looking at different ways to raise more money to help those in need,” Schuetz said.
The chapter saw an influx of new clients in October and November, Schuetz said. Since then, participant numbers are up slightly, and the chapter is giving away more food, he said.
The chapter has given away more than 1,000 food orders in the last three months, compared to about 3,000 orders given out in all of 2008, the release says. The food orders include nonperishable food and meat.
Some families are coming to the Salvation Army who never needed assistance before, Schuetz said.
“There’s people who haven’t gotten to the place where they had to ask for help (before), but I think that with our new pantry, we’re also able to give more food away, too,” he said.
The Salvation Army opened its expanded and reorganized pantry at 404 Hyatt St. in April.
Officials expect an even greater need later in the year as unemployment benefits run out for people laid off during the recession, Schuetz said.
The Salvation Army accepts donations anytime at its 514 Sutherland Ave. office. It’s most in need of canned meats, pasta, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, macaroni and cheese, soup and canned fruit, the release says.
The chapter is looking for bell ringers, too, Schuetz said. About 40 percent of the July slots still are open.