By C.R. Nelson

For the Observer-Reporter

newsroom@observer-reporter.com

WAYNESBURG - The name Salvation Army rings a bell, especially during the holiday season, which starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs until the end of the year. That is when the familiar red kettles appear and the bell ringers grace the entrances of Giant Eagle, Shop 'n Save, Save a Lot, Big Lots, Balko and Bells Market in Greene County.

But a surprising number of residents don't know that there is a Salvation Army office warehouse on First Street, Waynesburg, where emergency help can be had year-round. And it is for these services that the donations from these kettles go.

"United Way supports us, but it's the kettles that give us about 75 percent of our budget. We owe it all to the volunteers who ring for us and the generosity of everyone who gives," director Sister Audrey Quinn said. "We can help with household bills - electric, heating, basic utilities, even minor prescriptions for residents of Greene County. We work with FEMA to provide shelter during a disaster. We're there when you need us most."

Quinn, a Benedictine nun, added directing Greene County Salvation Army to her list of community service projects in September.

"There is so much that needs done. I have a secretary, Juanita Mills, and five staff members who are paid through Senior Employment. But without our volunteer bell ringers, this organization could not survive. Rotary members and scouts help out every year, and so do many wonderful volunteers from the community. Please, consider joining us this year."

"At 82, what more can a person do to help out?" veteran bell ringer Joyce Smith declared.

Partially deaf since childhood, Smith has made a lifelong commitment to doing what she can. Five days a week, she greets Meals on Wheels drivers at the door of Bridge Street Common, her home for the last 12 years. She then delivers those meals door to door to others who live in the apartment complex, along with mail and newspapers to shut-ins.

But her most rewarding weeks of volunteering come when the kettles are brought out.

"It's something I enjoy. I have a hard time making friends because of my hearing problems, but I meet so many kind people when I ring at Giant Eagle. Sometimes, when there was not enough volunteers in the beginning, I would ring from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. I'm getting too old to do that, but I stay as long as they need me. The Salvation Army does a great deal of good, and this I learned as a child. It was the only organization that my father would contribute to."

"I ring through the Waynesburg Rotary and so do other members," Jay Hammer of Rhodes and Hammers Printing said. "Last year, we honored Joyce Smith with the Paul Harris Fellow Award for her many years of service as a bell ringer. We're presently taking up a collection for the Salvation Army through Rotary. This is something we do on an ongoing basis throughout the year."

"From the end of July to November 12, we have donated $9,627.51 to meet the needs of people in Greene County," Quinn said. "This includes help with electric and water bills, buying propane and kerosene, rent assistance, motel stays, medicine, diapers, furnace repair and emergency food boxes. Don't hesitate to call us."

The Salvation Army warehouse on First Street is stocked with emergency food and a showroom of clothing and household items - everything but big appliances and mattresses.

"We don't have room for them here, but we call the warehouse in Masontown to pick up what you have to donate if there is a need for it," Quinn said.

Bonner and Service Learning students from Waynesburg University help at the warehouse, along with students from East Franklin School and West Greene High School. They also work with Quinn when she volunteers to manage the Produce to People monthly food give out at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

"We served 552 households, 1,406 individuals this month, and our volunteers were wonderful. We sometimes get home-schoolers who are doing service projects," Quinn said. "The food comes from the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to our county food pantry. Every month, the line stretches all the way to the bleachers outside, so you know there is a need in the community for this kind of help."

Local stores do their part to help keep the spirit of the holiday seasons for those on tight budgets. Dollar Tree puts out boxes for donations, and every year the warehouse gets boxes of stocking stuffers, along with out-of-season merchandise, from Big Lots. Clothes, toys and housewares are free to those in need.

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, and warehouse hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 724-852-1479 to schedule a drop-off, to volunteer or to report an emergency situation.

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