Bell ringers for Salvation Army discover gold coin in kettle outside Casey's Foods in Naperville
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Once again, a generous donor has left gold in The Salvation Army's Red Kettle outside Casey's Foods in Naperville.
At the end of the day Thursday, bell ringers for The Salvation Army Aurora Corps, which serves Naperville, discovered a 1-ounce gold South African Krugerrand coin. The donation is worth an estimated $1,790.
“We are extremely grateful for this donation and want to publicly thank the generous individual whose contribution will make a difference in the lives of our neighbors,” said Capt. Joaquin Rangel, corps officer for The Salvation Army Aurora Corps. “The gold coin shining in the kettle provides a glimmer of hope for many in our community during this time of unprecedented need.”
Unlike previous years, The Salvation Army launched the Rescue Christmas campaign about two months early in 2020 to meet a significant increase in need.
Some Salvation Army locations in Chicagoland have seen as much as a fivefold increase in requests for food and emergency assistance since the start of the pandemic, The Salvation Army says.
The Salvation Army says all money donated to the Red Kettles stays local. Donations help fund programming year-round.
For more information on The Salvation Army’s Rescue Christmas campaign, you can visit www.salarmychristmas.org.