MAUMEE, Ohio — Police in northwest Ohio say a man who claimed to hate Christmas swiped a Salvation Army red kettle full of donated money and pushed one of the charity's bell ringers to the ground when she tried to take it back.
Police in Maumee say the man grabbed the kettle Saturday evening outside a general store. The bell ringer grasped at the chain suspending the kettle and tried to take it back. But police say she was pushed down by the man, who told her: "I can't stand you and your bell-ringing. I hate Christmas." Police say the man then drove off in a pickup truck
with the kettle and tripod it was hanging from.
Sgt. David Tullis says he doesn't know how much money was in the kettle.
The empty kettle was recovered Sunday. The man has not been found.
JMC Ministries Response
We at JMC Ministries work very closely with the Salvation Army. For 6 years we have attended The Church here in our town of Chillicothe Ohio and worked closely with the red kettle campaign, volunteering our time to reach out to the homeless, working with at risk youth and helping hand out gifts and food for the holiday seasons.
The money that people put in those little red kettles goes directly to help those in need in the community and surrounding areas. So when this man stole that kettle he actually stole Christmas and food that would have help children and adults alike in need.
I (Miranda) have personally stood kettles and let me tell you it is one of the hardest yet most rewarding jobs I have ever done. You stand for nearly 8 hours in the cold, but to see the look on the childrens faces when we are able to give them a Christmas and food to eat, that makes up for the cold fingers and toes and red noses from ringing the bell for the red kettle campaign.
Through working with the salvation army I have seen many of the children I have mentored and taught through the years give their lives to christ as young as 10 yrs old, and even a close friend of mine give her life to Christ this past year.
Some of the signs that at one of the red kettle posts says is “Need Knows No Season” and that is so true. Through out the year the Salvation Army is hard at work helping others whether it be through food vouchers, clothing vouchers, or assistance with utility bills for people. They reach out to the community and those in need just as Jesus instructed, and we at JMC Ministries are so happy that we are apart of this great Ministry of the Salvation Army.
So to the man that assaulted the kettle worker and stole the money and said, “I hate Christmas” you can hate christmas, but don’t take from children and others in need who are hungry and have no money to buy food and clothes.
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