By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
December 21, 2011

Hundreds of toys filled the gym at the Salvation Army Bellefontaine Community Center, 3013 E. 9th St. There were board games, MP3 players, dolls and nearly any toy one could imagine.

Volunteers scanned the wish list of each family, and stuffed bright red bags with the goodies. More than 630 families will receive Christmas gifts and meals this year from the Salvation Army in Historic Northeast.

“We’ve got a lot of people in poverty here,” said Capt. Charles Williams, corps officer and pastor for the Bellefontaine Community Center.

For 34 years, Williams has worked for the Salvation Army and moved from Chicago, Ill., in August to Kansas City.

“I just love the hands-on ministry where they (Salvation Army) really touch people’s lives on a daily basis,” he said.

One of the ways the organization is able to touch people’s lives is through its Red Kettle Campaign, which runs through Christmas Eve. Some Salvation Army ringers have noticed citizens dropping in more than a few dollars and cents. This year in the Kansas City metro, the Salvation Army received two gold bars in its kettles. One bar totaled 10 grams, worth up to $800, and the other was 5 grams, worth up to $400. In Shawnee, Kan., someone dropped off a ¾ carat loose diamond worth approximately $2,000.

“Yesterday we got a wedding band and wedding ring. It’s gold, but we have to assess it to see how much it’s worth,” Williams said.

It’s also not uncommon to find gold coins in the kettles, he said.

The Red Kettle goal for the metro is $1.8 million and $45,000 for the center in Northeast. As of Dec. 19, approximately $730,000 had been raised for the metro and $33,000 was raised for Northeast, Williams said.

“We look like we might reach our goal. I’m counting ahead of time in anticipation,” he said.

Northeast’s Salvation Army center needs all the funding it can get.

“We do the most social services out of all the 28 facilities here (in the metro),” Williams said.

Funds raised from the Red Kettle Campaign will help fund programs the Salvation Army offers all year-long. One of the programs is “Beacon of Hope,” which serves meals to 150 to 200 people Monday through Friday at the community center.

“A lot of people are just out of work and come here to eat everyday,” he said. “Everybody’s having a hard time.”

Donations also help keep the community center open, which provides a gymnasium, game room and computer lab to youth on weekdays. There’s also a women and men’s ministry group, youth programs and emergency assistance for rent, electricity, gas and water bills. The center also provides assistance with bus fare, medication and eye glasses.

“Every day it’s just jam packed in our social services (division),” he said. “It’s a lot of people to serve. It’s overwhelming here because of the need.”

Homeless residents sleep in the lobby to seek shelter from the cold or use the bathrooms to wash up. One man came to the shelter everyday in the same pair of clothes, Williams said.

“It hurts to see that everyday,” he said. “I really want to help them get out of that situation.”

It takes a toll emotionally, spiritually and physically, but it’s worth it, he said. Serving the underprivileged is continuing the mission of Salvation Army founder William Booth, he said.

William’s goal for the community center is to address people’s needs and help them get back on their feet.

“We want to get people out of the water, out of the fire and walk beside them and get them to the next level.”