To make a long story short, the reason I became a Christmas Kettle Worker (bellringer) for the Salvation Army in Minneapolis was to earn enough money to get back to Charlotte. I signed up Dec. 3rd and started two days later. No job interview, just two forms of ID and I was on! It’s no secret that many of the bellringers are paid, and furthermore, are residents at the Salvation Army homeless shelter.

It turned out to be the coldest December there in quite a few years. The average temperature for the month was 13 degrees Fahrenheit and there were a few nights that were a little below zero. I wore three coats and four pairs of socks with two plastic grocery bags between the socks.