The Christmas bells will soon be ringing — both in area churches and next to the Salvation Army’s ubiquitous red kettles.

There are plenty of ways to help.

Of course, volunteers or employees are needed to ring the bells next to the red kettles once the season kicks off in November. Finding volunteers has been like finding a needle in a haystack for the past few years, prompting many Salvation Army locations to pay people to man red kettles. That is the case here. Anyone interested can call Major Shane Budd at 814-723-8950.

There’s another way to help, though, in early November by attending the Red Kettle Kick-off Auction from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 4 and bidding on the items that have been donated by area businesses and artisans. All proceeds from the auction go toward the Red Kettle Drive.

It’s no secret that it’s been harder and harder for Salvation Army locations throughout the country to meet their annual Red Kettle goals each year. Fewer people have the time to ring the bell and stores that used to host the kettles have closed, decreasing the number of locations. At the same time the need has grown in many communities, including Warren County.

The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign began in 1891 as a small fundraiser by Salvation Army Capt. Joseph McFee in San Francisco. It’s grown in size, scope and impact in the ensuing 130 years to the point that hundreds of families in our local community count on proceeds from the Red Kettle drive.

That’s what makes the addition of a kick-off auction a needed addition. Kudos to the local Salvation Army for finding another way to meet the need in Warren County through the kick-off auction. We hope the auction is packed — and profitable.