Desire to Teach Kids What's Important Inspires Head Kettle Elf

From Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, bells rang nearly nonstop as part of NHCO’s Salvation Army Kettle Campaign. Volunteers filled the holiday air with cheerful bells, jolly carols, and rockin’ guitar sounds while standing outside Kuhn’ in Allison Park and Walmart in Gibsonia.

But before the festive season could begin, we needed to find a very dedicated volunteer to serve as Head Elf and oversee the fundraising project. Kelly, who is an experienced ringer, saw the position as a great way to teach her children valuable life lessons.

“I'm a single mom of two teens and a few years ago, I had been looking for opportunities to teach my kids all the things...kindness, understanding, supporting others,” Kelly said.

She managed more than 170 volunteers, both experienced and novices. Her prime role was ensuring all two-hour shifts were covered, each ringer had a bell, and each team had a kettle.

Thanks to the dedication of the volunteers and Kelly’s leadership, the campaign was a tremendous success, raising $21,371.68 to support NHCO's Emergency Assistance programs.

"The people and the families and the communities that come together to make this project happen are the lifeblood,” Kelly said. “I just wanted to do my very best to assist and serve them as they rock this project.”

The responsibility did come with some stress. She sometimes worried she’d forget a step and her volunteers wouldn’t have be equipped to do their job. But, according to Kelly, her selfless and caring team always came together to ensure the campaign’s success.

“Where the ROCKSTAR volunteers proved once again that every moment and every effort matters greatly. That we can absolutely make a difference," Kelly added.