A gold coin was dropped into a Salvation Army’s Red Kettle in Bartlett, Chicago on Saturday 28th November, the first of the 2020 holiday season in what has become a tradition of suburban Chicago.
“We are thrilled to have received a gold coin,” commented Lt. Dena Smith, an officer for the Salvation Army Tri-City Corps in St. Charles, Chicago, which will benefit from the donation.
“In a year that has been filled with so much uncertainty, this gift will go a long way in helping us achieve the funding to continue to serve,” Smith added.
The one-ounce 2005 American Gold Eagle $50 coin was discovered inside the kettle outside the Jewel-Osco supermarket. It’s expected to sell for between $1,800 and $1,900 when, with the proceeds aiding the Tri-City Corps based in St. Charles, Chicago, which includes the Bartlett area.
On the same day, a one-ounce fine gold bar was dropped into a kettle outside a Jewel-Osco supermarket in Mundelein, Chicago valuing around the same amount as the gold coin. Its proceeds will help fund programs and services at the Salvation Army Waukegan Corps.
“We are so grateful for these very generous donations,” commented Lt. Colonel Lonneal Richardson, Salvation Army Metropolitan Divisional Commander. “They are the embodiment of our call to help Rescue Christmas for our neighbors. These donations will help a family stay in their home, put food on the table and provide gifts for the holidays.”
The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign dates back to 1891 in San Francisco. Gold and silver coins and bars donated to Salvation Army Red Kettles have become a much-anticipated holiday tradition in the Chicago area, commented Katie Heinz Pfingsten, Salvation Army Public Relations Manager.
Donating gold or silver is a tradition that started locally in the 1980s, Heinz Pfingsten commented, and typically, the Salvation Army receives anywhere from 12 to 15 every holiday season. The locations of where the coins are found always varies, she said.
Officials believe “multiple generous individuals donate these valuable and unique items each year,” she commented.
This year’s campaign, dubbed Rescue Christmas, started two months earlier than normal to meet the unprecedented need brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Heinz Pfingsten said. So far, donations to the Red Kettles in the Chicago area are down about 50% from what they were last year, she commented.
“Some of our corps community centers in the Metropolitan Division, which runs from Rockford to Lake County, Indiana, have seen as much as a five-fold increase in need since the start of the pandemic,” Heinz Pfingsten added.
“Many of these requests are for food and emergency assistance. We are also expecting an increase in the number of people seeking Christmas assistance, including holiday meal boxes and toys for children, teens, and seniors through our Angel Tree program.”
Salvation Army officials are working to meet the unique needs in each community, she said. Many offices have expanded their food pantry hours and are providing other services, such as, distributing personal hygiene items, she commented.
In Elgin, Chicago, the Salvation Army is joining with the Community Crisis Centre for Elgin’s Hope for the Holidays, she said. “It’s a collaboration to meet a need that’s expected to be greater than ever this year due to the ongoing pandemic,” Heinz Pfingsten said.
Original article source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/ct-ecn-gold-coin-salvation-army-bartlett-st-1202-20201201-bz4xnxahnnh2nodyfhqd4nvu3u-story.html
Original image source: https://coinappraiser.com/coins/value-of-2005-50-american-gold-eagle-coin/
