A day in the life:

Catherine works for the Salvation Army. She stands next to the red kettle in front of the Riverdale Wal-mart. She proudly wears her red apron, cheerfully rings her bell, and smiles at everyone she sees. The Signpost: How long have you been bell ringing for the Salvation Army? Catherine: This is my second year, and I love it. I'm out here every day, and I do it for five hours. SP: What made you decide to help the Salvation Army? C: Growing up in a family that did not have much, we relied on the Salvation Army, and that's what started it all. I am originally from Oklahoma, I've done it in Oklahoma, and I'm going to do it here. Seeing the kids faces when you hand them their Christmas presents is amazing; it made me cry last year. SP: How do you feel toward people who donate? C: Grateful, very grateful. When I was a kid, the Salvation Army helped out me and my family. It's awesome seeing how much good it does, it's just fun. SP: Is it true that people can donate with you by credit card now? C: Yes, I have these little slips. All you do is you fill out your name, card number, sign it with your first and last name, and you put your address. If you would like to, you could just go up to the Salvation Army yourself and donate, or you can go to salvationarmyUSA.org and donate. It's tax refundable, we'll send you a receipt, and it's really easy. It's amazing how much good that does. Whichever way you want to do it is up to you. They accept checks, credit cards, and, of course, the cash donations. I think the credit cards are new this year. SP: They seem to make it very convenient for people to donate. C: Yes, if you have a computer at home, like I said, go to salvationarmyUSA.org, and you can donate online. They'll send you your receipt in the mail. SP: What interesting experiences have you had? C: The most interesting experience that I've had out here is a lady came up to me. She was an older lady, and she said, 'I don't have any money, but I give you my wishes, my merry Christmas wishes,' and that was the best experience that I've had. The money helps out with families, but it's the smiles that I see every day, and knowing that I'm helping somebody out and the smiles that I see, make it worth it. I told my boss 'if you just hand me a bell and an apron, I'll go out and do it for free,' that's how much I love it. SP: Have you had any bad experiences with people while out here? C: No, some rude comments, but no bad experiences. I just act like I don't hear the rude comments. I keep on going, keep on smiling. It makes your day go faster whenever you smile at people, and the smile you get back is more than the money itself. Just knowing that someone appreciates that you're out here doing this means a lot. I love it, I couldn't ask for a better job. The Christmas season makes people realize that there's people out there that don't have stuff that we have. Whenever you donate, you're going to get back a lot more. Like I said, I love it. If they put a bell in my hand, and an apron on me, I'd gladly do it for free. The experience of seeing the children's faces is amazing. I love to give, because when you give you also receive. Not just receiving but getting smiles, that's why I do this.