Answer the Salvation Army Bells at Walmart from Noon to 1 PM, Monday, Dec. 10th and they will match your donation to feed our local hungry!

An Urgent Call for Southington's Hungriest . . .

Salvation Army volunteer, stands in the cold,
ringing the bells for those who are hungry.
Will you answer the call! 

At exactly noon on Monday, December 10^th, the Salvation Army bells will ring for one hour in front of Walmart on Queen Street.  State Sen. Joe Markley and State Rep. Rob Sampson will be ringing the bells to help Southington Community Services raise money for our local Food Pantry to help feed our local hungry.

"With continuing challenging economic times, contributions have continued to fall short of the need this year.", said SCS Director, Janet Mellon. A year ago, Mellon collaborated with Sen. Markley and Rep. Sampson who were able to set up a one-hour bell ringing fund raiser for the hungry. Salvation Army volunteers were stationed at Walmart locations across the state.  The donations were matched by Walmart in each town.

The people of Southington donated an amazing total of $12,500 in just one hour! Walmart matched that so that Southington Community Services received $25,000 to help feed our local hungry. Mellon, and other leaders in the town's charity organizations were astonished.  It had been the largest such collection in the entire state. Bread for Life's executive director, Eldon Hafford and Calvanese Foundation financial director, Kathy Reinhard were overjoyed at the enormous generosity of the people of Southington. .

The success was the result of the combined efforts of so many organizations in town, charities, faith congregations, businesses, professionals, the Fire Department, Police Department and other town departments. Most important was that it was a grass roots collaborative effort of the citizens, residents and those who work in Southington who came through. Markley and Sampson said he was thrilled at the result.

Can we do it again on Monday, December 10th?  Will you make a donation and ask at least two other people to do the same?  Southington Police Chief, Jack Daly, said:  "We need publicity. Let the people of Southington know and they will do the job!"  So, please, tell your neighbors, friends, fellow employees, your employer and members of your faith congregation about Southington's second annual one-hour holiday campaign to fight hunger here in Southington. .

Remember, donors do not have to personally go down to the Salvation Army Bell Ringing! You can combine your donations with others, in advance, and have just one person bring the money (or checks made payable to Salvation Army) down to Walmart between noon and 1:00 pm.

Mellon offers another option:  Bring your donations down to Southington Community Services and Food Pantry at 91 Norton Street in Plantsville anytime before noon on Monday. "We will bring every dollar collected down to Walmart so it can earn their matching dollars."

L to R: Janet Mellon, Director of SCS; Garry Brumback,
Southington Town Manager; Sen. Joe Markley;
and State Rep. Rob Sampson

Southington has a uniquely proud history of successfully meeting community-wide missions such as this. We have done it in the past and we can do it again. As seen in the photo at right, State and Town Officials present special awards to Janet Mellon and Kathy Reinhard who represented the countless volunteers helping feed the hungry in Southingon at a volunteer appreciation pizza luncheon this summer at the Back Nine.

Before you go, will you think for just a few moments about hunger. The experience is unimaginable, the very worst condition of human suffering.  
Please answer the call!
.