You see them outside the grocery store, the shopping mall, asking for donations to The Salvation Army from behind those iconic red kettles.
The Salvation Army will use nearly 90 percent of the funds it raises through those kettles for service provisions, like keeping the organization's food pantry stocked, its emergency financial assistance program afloat and its buildings and vehicles maintained.
Salvation Army of Bloomington officials say 115 volunteer groups, including individuals, families and larger groups like churches and Boy Scout troops signed up to volunteer this year - and the organization also hired dozens of bell ringers for the holidays.
And several of the people behind the kettles say their season wouldn't be the same without the ringing of the bells.
Carol Ebeling is posted in the vestibule of the Kroger on Bloomington's East side, playing Christmas music from a portable speaker.
As shoppers come in and out of the store, some drop a coin or a dollar bill into her red kettle.
Ebeling's church group has been volunteering with the Salvation Army for more than a decade. It's only her fifth year ringing the bell, but her motivation is personal.
"My husband Dave grew up in an impoverished situation in LaPorte, Ind., and if it weren't for Salvation Army, the four children wouldn't have had Christmases - and so it's a way that we pay back because God has been so good to all of us," she says.
Ebeling is just one of hundreds of volunteers out across south-central Indiana. But each year, the organization also hires people who've had difficulty finding employment in the past.
William Douglas is one of those employees, and he's been manning a red kettle for nearly a decade.
Across town, Douglas is standing outside a Kroger location on the south side of the city.
It's sunny, but he says the weather isn't always friendly. Sometimes being a bell ringer means facing frigid weather.
As Douglas made casual conversation with passersby, he mentioned the pride he takes in helping others.
"I mean, it really means a lot to me that if someone had a fire or a flood, you can help them," he says. "Helping the children with Christmas. It all works together, plus you get to know the people in your community. It makes a big difference when you know people in your community."
Carol Szatkowski found herself with a bell in her hand after applying to work with the Salvation Army, and she's been ringing for seven years.
For this shift, she'll be outside for six hours, but she adds it's worthwhile because of the good the organization does.
"The whole point is to help people throughout the year, and that's why I do it," Szatowski says.
Szatkowski says the opportunity to meet different people each day is what makes the biggest impression.
"There was a young baby about 18 months old who said ‘Bell! Bell!' and he pointed to it. And I gave it to him and he shook it as hard as he could, and we all laughed. It was so funny," she says.
As of Dec. 14, The Salvation Army of Bloomington says it has raised nearly $70,000 through its red kettle campaign this year. Organization officials say that's approximately $12,000 more than was raised by this time last year.
