Friday, January 17, 2025
The sound of bells ringing outside grocery stores is a staple of the holiday season, and the tradition dates back to 1891, when Salvation Army Capt. Joseph McFee sought to fund Christmas meals for the hungry in San Francisco.
Today, the tradition lives on around the world — and locally, the Freeport-Merrick Rotary Club proudly joins in, as its members volunteer with the Salvation Army to bring cheer and support to the community.
Last Saturday, Rotary members took up their posts outside the Stop & Shop in Baldwin Harbor, ringing bells beside the Salvation Army’s iconic red kettles from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The annual collaboration between the two organizations is both a fundraiser and a reminder of the season’s spirit of giving.
Ken Dookram, a longtime Rotary member, has been part of the effort for years. “It’s one of the things we do to help local people in this area, South Shore, Nassau County,” Dookram said of the partnership, which began in 1982.
Comfort Itoka, the club’s secretary and its chair of service projects, added that members volunteer in shifts throughout the day, with two members ringing bells per hour.
“This year we raised $650 just in a period of ringing the bell,” Itoka said.
The campaign is a cornerstone of the Salvation Army’s annual fundraising efforts for its programs and services.
“Funds raised during this Campaign (go) out into the Freeport Community in the form of food through our food pantry, children’s programs, Seasonal assistance, Thanksgiving baskets, Christmas assistance with toys (and more),” Zulamita Bravo, who, with her husband Miguel Orrego, serves as a pastor at the Salvation Army Freeport Community Center, wrote in an email.
“The Freeport-Merrick Rotary has always been of utmost importance in helping the Salvation Army,” Bravo added. “They go (above) and beyond.”
Asked about the difference that donors make, Bravo wrote, “Your generosity is changing lives in many ways you cannot imagine … your kindness makes (a) difference (for) those in need in our community of Freeport.”
She recalled a single mother of three who expressed her gratitude to the Salvation Army because, thanks to the center’s assistance, she was able to afford Christmas presents for her children.
The Rotary’s efforts are part of its broader mission of Service Above Self, which aligns naturally with the Salvation Army’s goal of uplifting the disadvantaged. “It’s a win-win for both organizations,” Dookram said.
“The vast, vast, vast majority of people who walk by, we greet, or try to greet, everyone and say, you know, ‘Merry Christmas,’ ‘Happy holidays, as they’re walking in,” he said. “Everybody always replies in kind, and are genuinely warm and responsive in return,”
Itoka added that the Rotary makes the experience festive. “One of our members brings his speaker, and we play the Christmas carols,” she said. “And even some of them tend to dance around the bucket.”
“We have people, they’ll have their kids put the money in, very young kids, so they can start learning about giving,” Dookram recounted. “We’ve had people who were cashiers, or who worked at the location we were at, come out with a handful of change and put it in. It’s moving … that you see people giving at the holiday season, knowing that those things are going to help other people in need.”
Rotary President Jordan Pecora also took part in the bell ringing. “It was wonderful to interact with the members of the community and experience their generosity during the holiday season,” he said, over text. “We are honored to be part of this annual event and help raise money (for the) Salvation Army.”
For those who would like to learn more about the Salvation Army or get involved in its activities, its Freeport headquarters are at 66 Church Street.
