If you are on the streets of Winnipeg this Christmas season, listen closely for the familiar bells belonging to Salvation Army volunteers manning their kettles. You might just see 21-year-old Courtney Pollett smile and thank you as you drop in your donation. With a “God bless,” she'll hand you a copy of this issue of Faith & Friends or a wallet calendar and then turn to greet the next person who comes her way.

Kettle Criteria
A sixth-generation member of The Salvation Army, Courtney has been manning the kettles since she was 10, but an Army background is not a prerequisite. “Any volunteer is welcome,” she says. “We need people who are courteous and willing to dedicate time during this busy season to stand at the kettle for a couple of hours. All they need is a smile.”

Last year, the Winnipeg Salvation Army handed out red vests and bells for the volunteers to ring, where permitted. “After all,” she explains, “volunteers are the heart of The Salvation Army, and we want people to know that.

“It's also important that kettle workers know about the different programs run by the Army—the food hampers, the emergency funding, the food vouchers, the shelters: all those things that we do because of the donations we receive.”

One Person's Story
Last year, Courtney, who majored in business administration, co-ordinated the Winnipeg Salvation Army's kettle campaign. With the $360,000 raised, the Army helped 2,800 families, including 2,100 children, through food hamper and toy programs. This year, hundreds of volunteers will man 54 kettles around the city to raise $400,000. “The need is so much greater this year, because so many need our help,” Courtney adds.

She has received everything from pennies to hundred-dollar bills. The largest donation she ever received was a $500 cheque.

“Many people use this opportunity to make a large yearly donation to The Salvation Army,” Courtney explains, “but if everyone gave even a small donation, it could make a huge difference.”

Last year, Courtney was given a large cheque by a man who told her he'd been homeless and living at a Salvation Army shelter the year before. “The Salvation Army worked with him,” Courtney recalls, “giving him groceries, support and clothes for his job interviews. Now, he has a job and an apartment.”

“This is the first Christmas of my new life, and that is why I am giving back,” the stranger told Courtney.

“It was great hearing about his journey,” says Courtney with a smile. “He is just one person out of thousands that the Army assists.”

“Here for You”
This has been a busy year for Courtney. In early 2010, she was hired as the co-ordinator of the Neighbours Helping Neighbours program, operated by The Salvation Army, that helps lower-income families with their hydroelectric bills. Courtney was married this fall to Duncan, a fellow Salvationist who is a firefighter for the city of Winnipeg. The newlyweds attend The Salvation Army's Heritage Park Temple, where Duncan plays in the band while Courtney leads the youth worship team. Her nuptials have put a temporary halt to the courses she takes in addictions counselling and family counselling at the local college, all the better to do her job more effectively.

Courtney's kettle duties mesh with her Christian beliefs. “When I stand at the kettle, I'm helping out people who are in need. I am 'loving my neighbour.' I want to spread the Word of God to those people who might not know Him very well. I want to be that helping hand they might not have. My work on the kettle is very fulfilling because I am doing that.

“By standing at the kettle, I'm saying, 'The Salvation Army is here for you.' ”