Salvation Army Honors Those Who Helped Kettle Drive | News, Sports, Jobs

photo by: Photo by Joselyn King

Capt. Jennifer Van Meter, left, and Commander Mark Van Meter of the Salvation Army in Wheeling present Bob Contraguerro of Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration an appreciation award for being chairman of last year’s Salvation Army Kettle Drive.

WHEELING – The Salvation Army in Wheeling had a successful kettle drive last year, and Friday morning, the group showed its appreciation to those who made it possible.

The Salvation Army hosted an appreciation breakfast at the Wheeling Country Club – its first in more than 20 years, according to Commander Mark Van Meter. Invited were local law enforcement and emergency personnel, as well as media and the Salvation Army’s advisory board members.

The local Salvation Army had a goal of raising $78,000 during its holiday kettle drive late last year. In the end, donations totalled more than $98,000, Van Meter said.

The year 2021 during COVID had been a challenging one for the Salvation Army, Van Meter explained.

During typical years, the group handles about 200 cases a month, he said. At the height of COVID from April to June last year, that number jumped to 2,000 as moms and dads were home while their work was closed.

At one point, the Salvation Army’s Baltimore office purchased more than $1 million in airline food to help feed those in the region who needed it, he continued.

“When we started hitting Christmas, we realized it was important we tell our stories, and to have community leaders beside us when we told that story,” Van Meter said.

The Salvation Army of Wheeling then reached out to Bob Contraguerro, owner of Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration. Contraguerro took on the role of chairman of the local Salvation Army kettle drive, and received an award from the Wheeling Salvation Army for leading a successful effort.

Contraguerro noted that every time he saw a Salvation Army kettle out last year, he noticed the bell ringing volunteers most always were standing out in cold, wet, snowy or windy weather.

“It was a great campaign, and I think we helped a lot of people,” he said.

Also receiving special rewards were the Rotary Club of Wheeling and the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department.

The Wheeling Rotary was credited as the service group raising the most during its bell ringing time at the red kettles. Also last Christmas season, the local Salvation Army organized its first “Battle of the Badges” competition featuring bell ringers from the Wheeling Police Department, the Wheeling Fire Department and the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department.

The sheriff’s department won the trophy after raising $2,903 at The Highlands.

In the end, the Salvation Army was able to help over 400 children last Christmas, Van Meter said.