Major Sheryl Hershey opened the event by recapping some of the highlights over the past year.

“We’ve done some amazing programs…our golden ages program has exploded this year. We went from having 10 or 15 seniors to having 32 on some days,” Hershey said. “We have 18 kids involved in our music program, which held a concert last night with 42 people in attendance. So that was amazing for our kids.”

“We also have a new program this year called Free Food Fridays,” Hershey added. “We get wonderful donations from Sheetz, Crumbl Cookies and others, and on Friday, we set them out on a table and we just let people come and take as they like for about four hours, until the food is gone. It’s been a wonderful program for us to do.”

“We are seeing a lot of new people coming in for food this year, including about 10 to 15 new families every Wednesday using our food pantry,” Hershey said.

Kent Bennett talks about he and his late wife Clara Bennett's involvement in the Salvation Army during the Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff Breakfast on Wednesday. KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Another successful program has been the Williamsport Red Shield Community Garden, located near UPMC Williamsport, which has seen an increase in volunteers, including students from Lycoming College.

“One of the things I would like to highlight is how we have grown over the last few years, and in 2021, we raised $19,000 and in 2022 we raised $17,000,” Hershey said. “The Christmas breakfast in 2021 raised $15,835 and last year they did $35,500, and this year our goal is $50,000.”

“And by 2021, our (Red) Kettle drive was $75,634, last year our kettle income was $96,673. We raised $20,000 (more) than the year before. So this year we’re trying to reach our stretch goal of $100,000, but our actual goal is $95,000, and if we can reach that, it is going to be amazing,” Hershey said.

Currently, there are almost 12 bell ringers for five locations, according to Hershey.

“We’re going to be able to do two shifts,” Hershey said. “We’re going to be able to partner them up so they’re not alone, so it’s going to be an exciting Christmas.”

The crowd listens to Kent Bennett speak at the Salvation Army Red Kettle Kickoff Breakfast on Wednesday at Farrington Place in Williamsport. KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Kent Bennett, a Diamond Sponsor who also serves on the advisory board gave a brief update on fundraising efforts prior to ringing the bell, a symbolic start to the 2023 Red Kettle campaign.

“Last year we raised about $35,500 and this year, just through sponsorships, we’re already close to $34,000, so I know we’re gonna blow right past $40,000,” Bennett said.

Bennett then spoke at length about the story of his, and his late wife, Clara’s, involvement with the Salvation Army.

Clara’s family, Bennett said, was what would be considered today, as “working poor,” explaining that her family consisted of six children, and that the family never owned any property. In fact, many of the houses they rented were quickly condemned.

“Back then there was no food bank, just government surplus, powdered milk, powdered eggs and cheese,” Bennett said. “I recall her telling me that although they were poor, their mother kept the house spic and span. Her mother was a great cook, she could make a fantastic meal out of a lousy pizza.”

When Bennett first met Clara, she was working three jobs to make ends meet, and the couple’s involvement with the Salvation Army first began in 1983, the same year as they were married.

“We contacted several organizations, including the Salvation Army, and explained that we’d like to go through applications of families that have kids, and pay personal visits to their homes, dressed as Santa Claus,” Bennett said.

The couple would also purchase gifts for the children they would visit.

“One particular home which really stuck out was a single mother with a 3-year-old daughter in a project on Linn Street,” Bennett said. “The child asked if she could kiss Santa, so she did, but Santa said on one condition, and that’s if Santa can give you a big hug. That little girl would be 34 years old now. I wonder if she remembers that moment.”

That moment was just one that motivated the couple to continue this tradition for the next six or seven years, adding on another family each year.

“And after four years, we had four teams going out,” Bennett said. “But we got to the point where we could no longer go canvassing, so we decided to change strategy and just donate the toys and stuff to these organizations.”

After privacy laws no longer allowed this, the couple began donating toys, a personal joy for Clara, as it was a way to get Bennett to go shopping with her, a chore he had usually avoided. Years later, the Bennetts changed gears again, shifting to donating cash, instead.

As the years went by, and the family’s fortunes continued to increase, the couple decided on the Salvation Army as their primary benefactor, as they felt it was the organization that best paid back what went into it.

Following Bennett’s presentation, Hershey and city Mayor Derek Slaughter presented an Emeritus Award to Russell C. Reitz, who has served on the advisory board for more than 28 years.

The breakfast, hosted at Farrington Place, doubles as a fundraiser, with red kettles placed on each table with attendees invited to make donations until breakfast is finished being served.

Advisory board member Laura Templeton announced that the total donated by those in attendance was more than $8,000. The grand total for the morning, with event sponsors included, amounted to more than $45,000.

In closing, Templeton said, “we want to thank you for your extraordinary generosity and your hard work year round.”