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Why Do People Put Rare Coins In Salvation Army Kettles?

Filed under: Charity

It's a holiday phenomenon that warms the heart. Each December, the Salvation Army kettles and bell ringers come out and the stories of rare coins being dropped into kettles begin. So far this season I've watched them come in from Tennessee, Indiana, Washington and other places.

So what's the deal with all the rare coins? I asked Donn Pearlman, a spokesman for the Professional Numismatists Guild and a former Chicago journalist and broadcaster who reported over the years on many of the early gold coin donations to the Salvation Army about the annual appearance of gold coins in the collection kettles. He says that the tradition of people generously and anonymously putting gold coins into Salvation Army kettles began in December 1982 when someone placed five, one-ounce South African Krugerrands into a kettle at a shopping mall in the Chicago suburb of Crystal Lake, Illinois. Krugerrands or Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins subsequently were dropped into a kettle at that same location every December for the next five years, spurring stories about the phantom philanthropist and the Salvation Army's Christmas-time fund-raising efforts.

Tags: gold coins, GoldCoins, salvation army, salvation army charity, salvation army donation, salvation army kettle, SalvationArmy, SalvationArmyCharity, SalvationArmyDonation, SalvationArmyKettle

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Salvation Army Texting for Dollars

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity

Say CUL8R to traditional fundraising -- in an attempt to reach younger tech-obsessed generations, The Salvation Army is going to start texting for cash this holiday season. Apparently the charitable organization is aware that not only do many twenty- and thirty-somethings operate better via cell phone, many of them aren't big on carrying cash to stuff into those swinging red coffers set up alongside Santa.

Instead, those who want to contribute can send a text agreeing to a $5 charge added to their cell phone bills at the end of the month. The Salvation Army will test out the program starting in November in Ohio and expand it nationally if it's successful.

[via The Chronicle of Philanthropy]

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Tags: charity, salvation army, SalvationArmy, text messages, TextMessages

Vintage Clothing Sales Surge in Bad Economy

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Designer vintage clothiers have always boasted a discerning clientele -- it takes a certain skill to identify and hunt down the fashion highlights from seasons past. In the current economy, high-end vintage outlets like The Way We Wore and Decades tell the LA Times that business is hotter than ever.

As Jared Paul Stern reported earlier this fall, Christie's is about to auction some of the 20th Century's most amazing vintage finds, a collection amassed by the bicoastal favorite Resurrection, a pioneer of designer vintage during the last economic downturn.

Vintage prices are indeed wallet-friendlier. Consider the Oscar de la Renta gown at right. Original retail: $14,000. For sale via eBay for the buy-it-now price of $3,500.

Your feelings about Reaganomics aside, the vintage trend has had successful trickle down: sales are up at Goodwill and Salvation Army, too.

[via Los Angeles Times]

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Tags: decades, nina ricci, NinaRicci, resurrection, salvation army, SalvationArmy, the way we wore, TheWayWeWore, thrift shops, ThriftShops, vintage designer, VintageDesigner

Fundraisers See Disappointing Response to Recent Disasters

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity

Following recent hurricanes Ike and Gustav, U.S. charities have finally reached the $50 million mark in fundraising, though this number doesn't come close to covering the needs of those suffering throughout affected areas, needs estimated in the hundreds of millions (not including job losses and insurance claims).

The comparisons between relief efforts for Gustav pale in comparison to those surrounding Katrina: Catholic Charities, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, raised $179,000 for current hurricane relief. For Katrina, the organization received $150 million, a whopping 839 times as much. Organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army cite the current economic climate as well as the way governmental agencies now impact private organizations. The Red Cross has consequently turned to Congress, asking for $150 million to support hurricane victims.

[via The Chronicle of Philanthropy]

Tags: charity, disaster relief, DisasterRelief, gustav, hurricanes, ike, katrina, red cross, RedCross, salvation army, SalvationArmy

Salvation Army, Charity of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity of the Day

What more appropriate charity to mention on Christmas day than the Salvation Army. No other organization is as associated with the holiday. It also seem like each year we hear of an act of touching generosity associated with the Salvation Army kettle. This year in Pensacola, Florida, a platinum coin estimated to be worth more than $1,000 was given to a bell ringer.The coin's face value is $100 but the appraisal value is said to be closer to $1,300. The coin is from 2006 and is stamped with an image of the Statue of Liberty. The Salvation Army also received at least eight gold coins in its kettles this year.

You don't have to throw gold coins in the kettle to make a difference. The Salvation Army works in communities to provide toys for children at Christmas, coats for the homeless, food for the hungry and a variety of social services.More than 83 cents of every dollar raised goes toward direct assistance to families in need in 5,000 communities across the country. And, as my mother taught me, donating money in the kettles during the holiday season helps bring you luck in the new year.

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Tags: charity of the day, expire-images:2008-12-24, salvation army, SalvationArmy