Published: November 28, 2008 11:06 am            

Bellringers cross Atlantic to spread holiday cheer

The sound of the Salvation Army bells ringing outside the Big Lots store is a familiar one this time of year, but something was a bit different as that chime rang through the air Tuesday. From behind the well-known clang came an English-accented voice, boisterously singing about the joy of knowing Jesus.

That pleasant voice belonged to Margaret Toase, who, along with her friend, Pearl Armstrong, recently made a 23-hour trek from the United Kingdom to spend a few weeks ringing bells for a good cause in Princeton.

“It’s in our hearts to do this,” said Toase. “Our cups are full and running over, and we want to give to others. That’s what we do when we come here to America.”

This marks the eighth consecutive year the charitable pair has made that purposeful trip to the United States. It’s their first visit, however, to the Mountaineer State, where they came to help Kelly Goldfarb, a hometown friend from their native Middlesbrough. Goldfarb and her husband, Aaron, took charge of the Salvation Army Princeton Corps this year.

“Every year, we go where the Goldfarbs are,” said Armstrong. “The last three years, we went to Baltimore, because that’s where they were then. Kelly is from our home. I know her family well.”

“Kelly’s mum’s my best friend,” added Toase. “We’ve just entwined over the years. I’ll do anything for her mum, so I’ll do anything for Kelly, too.”

Each November, that bond, along with a very special giving spirit, brings Armstrong and Toase overseas to America, where they passionately ring bells to put food on the table and clothes and toys under the trees of those in need.

“We do this because a lot of people go short, and if people don’t give money to these kettles, it’s going to be extremely difficult for the Salvation Army to meet the needs when it comes to Christmas,” said Armstrong.

When it comes to collecting the spare change that adds up to meet that dire local need, the English friends employ very different approaches. Both, though, bring an individual flair to their bell ringing that could only stem from the genuine desire to make the holiday season brighter for the neediest local families.

“I sing all day, and Pearl smiles all day,” said Toase. “We just try to encourage people. It makes them happier as they’re going in to shop, and maybe it makes them give a little more when they come out.”

Whether or not they are giving more than usual, Princeton shoppers have certainly taken notice of their foreign bell ringers since they arrived in Mercer County Nov. 17.

“They hear my accent and they always ask, ‘Are you Irish?’ and I say, ‘No, not Irish,’” said Toase.

“Of course, everyone automatically thinks you’re from London,” added Armstrong. “But, we’re far from London.”

It’s not just their accents, though, that have grabbed the attention of shoppers who otherwise might have walked on by. Toase notes that, for better or for worse, her continual caroling has turned the heads of more than a few busy buyers.

“I’m not quite sure sometimes if they put money in the kettle just to shut me up,” she said. “But, you know what? I don’t care. Just put the money in the kettle and it doesn’t bother me.”

For those consumers who do enjoy her holiday tunes, though, Toase does answer requests, for a price.

“You put $20 in the kettle and I’ll do a request; that’s not a problem,” she laughed. “One of the favorites seems to be ‘The Saints Go Marching In.’ I ring both of my bells and I jiggle a bit, too.”

It’s clear that both Toase and the friendly Armstrong, who prefers talking over crooning, (“they just don’t want to hear me sing,” she says) will do whatever it takes to fill their familiar red kettles. The women, both Salvationists and regular volunteers at the Middlesbrough Salvation Army, agree that there is a deep meaning behind each coin dropped through those slots.

“Do you know what it says on the back of every one of your notes and coins here in the United States?” asked Toase. “It says ‘In God we trust.’ That’s vitally important. Because he’s loved us, that’s why we do this work for others.”

Kelly Goldfarb is glad that her Middlesbrough friends brought that work to Princeton this year, where they have not only rung bells but also participated in several other Salvation Army activities, including the distribution of the organization’s Thanksgiving meals.

“I love it that they come every year; I think it’s the best,” said Goldfarb. “They raise the profile of the Army because they’re always in uniform, and they tend to talk to the people a lot.”

Goldfarb says that there are a couple of possible explanations as to why the selfless humanitarians choose to travel so far each year in the name of giving.

“Because they’re crazy,” she laughed. “No, I know that they come because they like the blessing that it gives them to help others.”

And, though they volunteer often in their native land, both of the friends find a personal freedom in their trips overseas that they say allows them to focus more intently on the task of charity.

“What’s good when we come here is that we can just switch off from all of our own problems,” said Toase. “I can just sing and be free.”

“Yes, that’s the brilliant part of coming here,” added Armstrong.

They have traveled to many places, including Atlanta and Norfolk, in the eight years they have volunteered with the Goldfarbs, but the dedicated bell ringers say that their trip to West Virginia has been a memorable one.

“Here’s nice; it’s lovely indeed,” said Toase. “It’s like you’ve got the time, all the time in the world.”

Mercer County residents may have the time to stop and talk, but the free-spirited Toase says she’s noticed some inhibition about taking part in another of her favorite activities.

“In West Virginia, people don’t sing a lot,” she said. “They’re just not singing people. I think that they want to, but they don’t have the courage. I tell them, ‘You can do it.’”

But, Toase has noticed another difference between Americans and her English counterparts, one that she admires greatly.

“Here, they understand more what the Salvation Army is all about,” she said. “In England, we have the Social Services that do an awful lot, so people aren’t as dependent on the Army. People here are generous, and I do believe they’re giving what they can afford to give.”

In West Virginia and abroad, the friends say, that amount might be less this year than in years past. They understand well the impacts of a faltering economy, but they hold hope that America’s giving spirit will still come through for those struggling the most this Christmas season.

“I think it’s going to be a difficult time this year, because people are struggling themselves,” said Toase. “Back home, we’re going through a credit crunch, as well. You can only give what you can afford to give. But, we all have more than we need, you know. Our cups are running over.”

She speaks of tangible assets, but Toase and Armstrong’s hearts are running over too, with something less visible but perhaps even more valuable: compassion.

“The first Saturday we’re back home, we’ll be out collecting,” said Armstrong.

“This is how we worship,” added Toase. “It’s our way of life.”

On Monday, when the pair hangs up their Princeton bells and heads back to Middlesbrough, it is certain that they will leave behind much more than the coins of charity that they have collected. Throughout their two-week stay, Toase and Armstrong worked to demonstrate what they say is the true meaning of the Christmas season.

“There’s a secret to it, and the secret is love; I’m sure of that,” said Toase. “Love is the secret.”

— Contact CharLy Markwart at cmarkwart@ptonline.net.

        

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