Star's Bellringer campaign gets underway on Thanksgiving Day
It’s Thanksgiving, which means it’s time for the start of the Ventura County Star’s annual Julius Gius Bellringer campaign to raise funds for the Salvation Army.
“This is a way that people can join together to help neighbors who have run into hard times and put them on a pathway to independence,” said Sharon Kerr, director of major gifts for the Salvation Army’s California South Division.
The Bellringer campaign is a partnership between the Ventura County Star and the Salvation Army that’s been going on for decades, she said.
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"It was originally started because the paper was committed to the same ideals as the Salvation Army in helping the less fortunate in the community,” she said.
The Star is proud to carry on the spirit of Julius Gius through the Bellringer campaign, said Darrin Peschka, news director. Gius, editor of what was then called the Ventura County Star-Free Press, started the campaign in 1979 after some shopping centers banned the Salvation Army’s kettle and bellringers, saying they were too loud and distracting. Most shopping centers eventually rescinded the ban, but The Star’s Bellringer drive was here to stay.
“Each year, we are amazed by the generosity of our neighbors,” Peschka said. “The recent Woolsey and Hill wildfires and the tragic shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill have affected thousands of people in our community. The need for support is immediate and will be ongoing. We encourage everyone to consider helping those in need this holiday season and beyond.”
The Salvation Army can help with rent, utility payments and finding emergency housing. It runs a food pantry and a dental clinic that offers free cleanings, X-rays, fillings and root canals. During the holidays, it can also provide presents for families and food boxes with all the fixings for holiday meals.
Kerr said that throughout Ventura County, many families are living paycheck to paycheck, “and one misfortune can put them over the edge."
“They could get injured and miss work and have medical bills,” she said. “They could lose their lease because they miss a rent payment and end up living in their cars or under a bridge.”
The goal of this year’s campaign is $75,000. Donations will be accepted beginning Thanksgiving Day.
“People can donate online or send a check, and both ways immediately and directly go to local individuals in need,” Kerr said. “And they can designate their donation however they like. If they choose to donate to the fire victims, 100 percent goes immediately to the fire victims.”
The Star’s Bellringer drive will run through Christmas, with the newspaper publishing a daily list of new contributions, except on Mondays. Although The Star acknowledges all contributions, donors can remain anonymous, if desired.
“We want to emphasize that it’s all local – the people that we’re helping are all Ventura County residents,” Kerr said. “We’re not taking the money out of Ventura County. All the money stays right here. This Bellringer campaign helps hundreds and hundreds of people every year.”
How to give
Checks to Bellringer should include the donor’s name, phone number and, if desired, the name of the person, organization, pet or other cause in whose memory it is given. The information, in a message of up to 35 words, will be shared with readers at vcstar.com.
Please make checks out to Salvation Army Southern California Division and send them to Bellringer, c/o Ventura County Star, 771 E. Daily Drive, Suite 300, Camarillo, CA 93010, or pay with a credit card through this link to the Salvation Army: http://vcstar.com/bellringer2018.