Armed with mittens, a jacket and a smile, I had the pleasure of representing the Salvation Army Plymouth Corps on Wednesday as a volunteer bell-ringer at Kroger in Plymouth Township.

This was my first time ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. Having covered a guest bell-ringing event featuring some Detroit Red Wings and recently doing a story on how the organization still needs plenty of donations to meet its 2011 Red Kettle Campaign goals, I jumped at the chance to chip in. I knew the organization had plenty of kettle vacancies and I wanted to help.

I'm not particularly in a position to be able to donate much money, but what I can donate is time. It was especially special to be able to help in my own community. I saw several familiar faces along the way, including Plymouth's mayor, Dan Dwyer, and met lots of great people, including both those who were able to donate and those who couldn't give but still gave a friendly greeting upon entering the store. 

Fortunately for me, my two-hour bell-ringing shift occurred during mid-afternoon when the weather was mild. I was stationed outdoors outside the store and was able to go without gloves for much of my time there. I feel for those who ring the bell through less favorable weather conditions and still don't complain.

Through the process, I remembered that giving is 100 percent voluntary. The organization ensures that bell-ringers don't persuade, coerce or ask people to donate. If you're one of those who takes the long walk around to avoid a bell-ringer encounter when you go to buy your milk and eggs — and believe me, a lot of us have been there at some point in our lives — rest assured that donations are always appreciated, but never expected. If you want to go and greet your local bell-ringer but don't have anything to donate, they won't take it personally and likely will appreciate the interaction.

If money is tight this year and you still want to chip in as the Red Kettle Campaign winds down, you can volunteer to be a bell-ringer at www.ringbell.org. Manning a vacant kettle location can go a long way toward helping the organization meet its goals.

Happy Holidays!