WESTFIELD – Volunteering to ring bells for the Salvation Army during the holiday season is always a “humbling experience” for Gail Gonyea.

“I love talking to people and love to see parents give their children some change to put in the bucket,” said Gonyea, who enlists her sister Cheryl Guzik to join her during several two-hour shifts.

Gonyea, of West Springfield, said since she began volunteering her time to ring the bells almost five years ago, she has a greater appreciation for those who choose to give of their time to help others in need.

“In the past we rang the bells at Bon-Ton and now enjoy our time at Walmart,” said Gonyea, adding, “it’s for a good cause and it’s fun.”

Gonyea said she encourages others to consider volunteering to ring the bells this holiday season.

“I love saying ‘happy holidays’ and ‘have a great day’ to all those who pass by,” said Gonyea, adding, “It’s a great way to help a good cause.”

Kathy and Paul McKenna of Westfield shared similar sentiments.

“We decided years ago we wanted to do something more because we were very fortunate in our lives and we centered on service for the holidays,” said Paul McKenna. “We contacted the Salvation Army when we noticed they were looking for volunteers.”

Kathy McKenna agreed.

“Ringing the bells for the Salvation Army has become a seasonal tradition for us,” she said, adding, “We start our Christmas holidays by giving our time to the Salvation Army.”

The couple also noted what makes the experience special is seeing “so many generous people willing to give.”

“There are a lot of needy people and ringing the bells is one way of giving back,” said Paul McKenna.
Kathy McKenna echoed that sentiment.

“Signing up to ring the bells is a small commitment, a couple of hours at the most,” she said. “I think it fills you with a sense of giving back and also recognizing how fortunate you are.”

The McKennas also encourage area residents to consider signing up for a time slot in the coming weeks.

“I think we have to be aware of those less fortunate than us and know that the Salvation Army is an outstanding organization that you can trust to help as many people as possible,” said Paul McKenna.

Red Kettle coordinator Mary-Lou Dazelle is thankful for volunteers like the McKennas and Gonyea and Guzik for their support of the organization and for their annual gift of time spent ringing the bells.

“We begin the holiday season with red kettles on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and continue until Dec. 24,” said Dazelle, adding the red kettles are not observed on Sundays.

Dazelle said it was hard when Bon-Ton closed and then to experience last year’s COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our locations are at Walmart and Stop & Shop this year,” said Dazelle, adding, “if we had 50 bell ringers, that would be ideal.”

Dazelle said two-hour shifts are typical, but she will accommodate hours to meet one’s schedule. She is also reaching out to high schools, Westfield State University, City Hall employees and City Council members to consider volunteering.

For more information on signing up to ring the bells, contact Dazelle at marydazelle@gmail.com or 562-2910.

“I just find it rewarding to ring the bells,” said Dazelle, adding, “the moment you start ringing you have an overwhelming feeling of doing something good for the community.”

Westfield’s Salvation Army unit coordinator Laurie Matthews is thankful in many ways – from Dazelle and her team of volunteers, to the countless others who donate time, money, toys, clothes and food for those less fortunate throughout the year.

One of the organization’s best-known holiday programs geared toward children is its Angel Program.

“We did not close down our Angel Program last year,” said Matthews, adding, “we just had to work differently following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.”

Matthews noted the unit served 1,422 children from more than 400 families in the 2020 Angel Program.

“I’m not expecting much change in the numbers, we are consistently between 1,200 and 1,500 children yearly,” she said, noting anyone wishing to adopt an “Angel” or donate in anyway can contact her at 977-8759.

“Many churches in town do an Angel Tree where their church attenders can choose an angel,” said Matthews, adding, “some churches do adopt a family where they buy gifts for the whole family.”

Matthews said the toy drive her unit also oversees distributed more than 6,000 toys in 2020, and she expects to see the same number this holiday season.

“Toys are to be new and unwrapped, and can be dropped off starting on Dec. 13-17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Dec. 20-22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at St. Joseph’s National Catholic Church social hall at 73 Main St.,” said Matthews.

Those who cannot drop toys off at the Westfield church during those designated times can call Matthews for pickup, or a weekend or night dropoff.

“If you are a family in need, you can come to St. Joseph’s Church social hall Nov. 8-12 from 9 a.m. to noon, or Nov. 15-19 from 6-8 p.m., and bring proof of address, income and proof of children,” said Matthews.

Matthews noted that due to the pandemic last year, the annual coat drive did not take place and she is hopeful with looser CDC guidelines and by restricting the number of people entering the building at one time, the drive may still be offered.

For individuals and business leaders who traditionally donate turkeys and the fixings to ensure everyone in the city has a Thanksgiving meal, Matthews said she usually has more than 200 families seeking food assistance.

“Due to COVID last year, many businesses were closed, as was Westfield State University, so company donations for Thanksgiving were at an all-time low,” said Matthews. “We have a couple who through their social media page raised money and provided bags of food with a $10 gift card, which was a huge help. We also have another company in town that wishes to remain anonymous that did 10 gift cards for families to shop for their own meal.”

Matthews said she is already hearing that turkeys may be difficult to buy in bulk, so she is unsure how much the Salvation Army will be able to assist the 200-plus families that need help putting together their Thanksgiving meal.

“We greatly need the help, and all Thanksgiving trimmings and/or turkeys can be dropped off at St. Joseph’s Church between 6 and 8 p.m. Nov. 15-19 and Nov. 22-23 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” said Matthews. “Meals will be distributed between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Nov. 22-24.”