Over 500 community members gathered for a luncheon on Tuesday to help the Turlock Salvation Army literally ring in their red kettle holiday fundraising season.
The highlight of the event was the Kettle Klash, where volunteer groups competed against each other to bring in the most money during a five-minute mad dash of money collecting amidst the signature sound of ringing bells. This year, the team Just Plain Nuts — made up of Nick Hackler, Don Wilkey and John Arellano — brought in the most funds at $24,761.66. They were followed by We Can Build It (Jerry Powell and Clark Hulbert) at $23,922.25; Santa’s Law Squad (Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse and Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden) at $7,013; The Charity Belles (Ana Machado, Diane Koken, Megan Patterson and Jessica Hamilton) at $5,586; Noon Rotary Club (Shawna Casey, Adena Dutter, Lisa Cedilla and Rigoberto Noriega) at $3,266.65; First Responders (Turlock Fire Department’s Jeff Hernandez and Jason Bernard) at $2,048.76; and The Real Deal (Nico Torres and Jose Cibrian) at $1,812.09.
The Kettle Klash brought in a total of $68,004.11, with a last minute donation of $500, the grand total of fundraising for the day was $68,5004.11.
While this year’s total was around $6,500 less than last year, Turlock Capt. Jeffrey Breazeale said that every dollar counts when it comes to the Turlock Salvation Army.
“Not only do we want to kick off the Christmas season today, but we also want to celebrate the many volunteers who helped us, and, of course, get plenty of donations. Last year, in the five minutes that we collected and rang the bell, we raised $75,000. In doing so, this helped purchase groceries for over 1,000 families. It assisted many families with utility assistance, and it helped 500 families with networking and counseling. Thirty children came to our daily after-school program Monday through Friday. We have a senior program that encourages our seniors to get up, get out of the house, get moving, socialize, and it gives them something to do that’s fun and fellowship. And we thank all of you for that,” he said.
While volunteer money counters from the Turlock Irrigation District were busy double checking the fundraising totals during the luncheon, Jessica’s House founder Erin Nelson shared a few words with attendees.
Nelson founded Jessica’s House in 2011 following the death of her husband because she saw a need for grief support for local families, and especially children. She is now a trauma practitioner through the National Institute of Trauma and Loss in Children and co-author of “When Grief Comes Home” with fellow staff member, Colleen Montague, for parents raising grieving children.
Nelson’s message to community members on Tuesday was to “get closer.” She cited a 2023 national study that reported 74% of Americans feel a sense of non-belonging in their own community and a US Surgeon General advisory titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness in Isolation” that reported lacking in person social connection increased the risk of premature death as much as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, it increased heart disease by 29%, stroke by 32% and the risk of dementia by 50%.
“He said there are forces around us telling us that the way to fill our emptiness is to focus more on ourselves, but he said, it's actually service that is the most powerful antidote to loneliness,” said Nelson. “Service, it releases all those feel good chemicals in our brain, serotonin and dopamine and endorphins, and it offsets stress while giving us a sense of purpose. In fact, your body gets the same benefits from volunteering that you get from an intense physical workout. And I love seeing all these volunteers here today. So in a time when we've moved from having confidants to contacts and friends to followers, what we need most is in person, connection…
“In a world where loneliness is literally killing us, the best medicine we have is each other. So let's counter the statistics of non-belonging and do what my pastor says is the remedy for many of the issues we face today, and it's only two words — get closer.”
One of the ways community members can “get closer” to others this holiday season is by volunteering to ring the bell for the Salvation Army at red kettles that will be stationed in front of businesses around town.
“We are 100% volunteer bell ringers, so all the proceeds that are collected go back into our communities,” said Capt. Breazeale.
Community members can sign up at registertoring.com or by calling 209-667-6091.
Yosemite Farm Credit is helping pump up donations on Dec. 13 with a special matching donation. Any donation of $20, or an increment of $20, made on that day will be matched by Yosemite Farm Credit, up to $5,000.
