The local Salvation Army is looking for a few good men and women this upcoming Christmas season.

Volunteers are needed for the service organization’s annual Red Kettle Campaign, which begins Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and runs through Dec. 23, a few days before Christmas. The Salvation Army of Cass County is looking for people to serve as bell ringers outside of Dowagiac’s Family Fare and Shopko establishments from Dec. 7-23, with shifts beginning at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday.

Held in conjunction with other Salvation Army territories around the world, the annual fundraiser collects donations from customers entering and exiting these businesses throughout the Christmas season. Volunteers will be asked to ring bells and greet locals, collecting their money and placing them inside the eponymous red kettles at each location.

The proceeds from the donation drive are used throughout the year by the Cass County Salvation Army, located inside the ACTION Center in Dowagiac, helping pay rent and small utility bills for families in need of assistance, said Carl Bogen, a volunteer with the charity.

“Every single cent collected in those buckets stays in this community,” Bogen said. “The money doesn’t pay for wages or for other expenses.”

Last year, around 140 local volunteers collected around $7,000 for the Cass County organization, Bogen said. The donations were part of the $27,000 the Cass County Salvation Army spent on assistance to hundreds of county families last year, he said.

This year, he is hoping to receive $10,000 through the donation drive, he said.

Volunteer bell ringers can sign up as individuals, or can sign up as a group, be it with family members, another service organization or with members of their church congregation. Five local churches have already volunteered to help with this year’s effort, Bogen said.

Volunteers can choose the amount of hours they wish to serve as well.

“It costs you nothing, but it can do you so much good, and does an awful lot of good in the community,” Bogen said.

With so many county families living at or below the federal poverty line, locals are asked to give whatever time they can to serve their fellow neighbors — especially since one day they may face the same needs, Bogen said.

“You may get cold, and your feet may start to hurt after a while,” Bogen said. “But when you’re done, you get a warm feeling in your heart because your work will directly help someone in need.”

People interested in volunteering with the Red Kettle Campaign can call Bogen at (269) 963-7785 or visit the Salvation Army offices, which are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday.