I’ve donned high heels, pantyhose and even latex gloves for diverse jobs over the past 15 years, but wool socks and long johns are a first this year.
Dan Bates / The Herald
It takes almost as long to dress for work as a Volunteers of America holiday bell ringer as it does to drive from home to the nonprofit agency’s donation collection sites throughout Snohomish County.
Most shifts require at least three layers of pants, three tops under the standard-issue red VOA windbreaker, two layers of cotton gloves and three layers of wool socks – enough to prevent my boots from fitting. My husband has graciously lent his old Doc Martens.
Of course, a bell and a fuzzy – and surprisingly warm – Santa hat top off the uniform. I stash extra layers in the cubbyhole beneath my wooden chimney’s collection bag.
The layers are part of the adventure. Joining the throng of people out and about at this time of year, without actually entering the stores, is the other draw.
Of course, outdoors is, well, cold! Don’t feel too indebted when a bell ringer opens the door for you – that’s how we keep warm. With a few cups of strong hot tea and a farmer’s breakfast, I pass my eight-hour shifts by staying in constant motion. I dance, shuffle and bounce between doors, or, when the doors are automatic, I simply dance and bounce. The energy attracts attention.
When crowds are thick or steady, the dance and conversation feel like walking meditation. But in between those times, it’s easy for a social person to feel a crushing sense of boredom. That’s when I try to note the sun, shifting clouds or icy moon halo and remember why I’m there.
My stint as a fundraiser and harbinger of cheer is inspired equally by need and good will. It’s been a tight year in our household, despite the burgeoning local economy. And it turns out that the differences bell ringers can make are many.
I like to think that a warm smile and a joke help reluctant shoppers, especially men, enter more merrily into a grocery store or mall. And it’s hard to meet an open door with a frown when your arms are full of packages or a squirming toddler.
Those smiles – and the young children who peer in delight or doubt – more than make up for the cold and this year’s especially sensitive debate over the appropriate greeting for shoppers. Folks who doubt the cultural divide in our country need only don a Santa hat and greet people outside the mall.
With the goals of spreading cheer and inspiring donations, the last thing I want to do is offend. I began by saying “Happy holidays,” and found that I offended the faithful and felt insincere. Then, one night, I came out with an enthusiastic “Merry Christmas.” The couple passing through my door into Macy’s stopped and looked at me. They smiled and heartily shouted back, “Merry Christmas!”
Since then, I’ve tried to read the people passing by. A red sweater covered in angels or a gold cross inspire a “Merry Christmas,” while an unadorned shopper might hear “Have fun in there” or “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” Often, people respond to those more generic greetings with ” Happy holidays,” or “Merry Christmas” and a smile.
The right greeting takes on importance when you know how the money in the chimney will be spent. The coins, bills and checks support basic needs services for local individuals and families.
One mother approached me on her way out of an Albertsons store and told me she wished she could give. She has kept her family warm and fed them with VOA’s help this year. The agency’s food distribution center supports 19 area food banks and distributes more than 4 million pounds of food annually.
Another woman said she could not have made it through the long recovery from surgery without VOA’s assistance. Many more people simply say, “Thank you for being here,” or, “God bless you.” That’s something retail clerks don’t often hear, and it’s the job’s biggest perk.
Food distribution is only a portion of what VOA does. The bell-ringing holiday drive specifically funds five additional services: shelter for homeless families and individuals, infant care, toys for children, clothing for people in need and support for senior citizens.
I already work innumerable hours in my primary job – raising our 3-year-old son and helping at his cooperative preschool. And I’m a writer on the side.
Throw in my husband’s work schedule and the cost of child care, and finding a flexible seasonal job was a challenge. But the obstacles in my path were simple compared to those faced by some of my colleagues. For a number of men and women who fill shopping center parking lots with the jingling of a bell, the state minimum wage ($7.35 an hour days with a 65-cent night differential) and opportunity provided by the job are crucial.
Unlike many employers, VOA also provides sustenance and transportation.
Every morning, ringers have the opportunity to arrive early at the agency’s Everett office for camaraderie, coffee and peanut butter sandwiches. Once the day’s schedule is set, VOA drivers whisk anyone who wants or needs a lift to work and back again at the end of their shift.
Along with stories and jokes, the ringers use the rides to share a cooperative spirit. There’s friendly competition for the most lucrative sites, but even more, a common sense of purpose, of wanting to do well by VOA and build a better start for the year to come.
Perhaps that’s why some ringers return to the program year after year.
Frosty toes and all, I know I hope to lend my smile and rhythm to the cause again next year.
Kristin Fetters-Walp is a Lake Stevens freelance writer.
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