News : Gold Coin: Donor puts valuable donation in Salvation Army Red Kettle in Vinton

An anonymous donor placed this gold coin, valued at more than $1,100 in the Red Kettle at Fareway.

Almost every year, some anonymous donor drops a coin into a red kettle as a Salvation Army volunteer rings bell to announce the annual Christmas donation drive. Then when officials open the kettle, they discover a very valuable gold coin.

Vinton was the first location to report the donation of a gold coin. It happened at Fareway on Thursday. Just to make sure that the recipients understood its worth, the donor wrote "Gold" in black marker on the front of the $50 gold piece. When sold for its price in gold, the coin, which weighs one ounce, is worth more than $1,100.

Rev. Bob Gaston is the volunteer Benton County Salvation Army coordinator; he has worked for the organization for decades in Bremer and later Benton counties. Gaston and Robert Parker have been working with churches and organizations to make sure that the red kettle has bell ringers throughout each day that Fareway is open. This year, the organization has also expanded into other cities within the county.

Last year, the Red Kettle drive netted $15,000.

Gaston and Parker recently sat down with Vinton Today to discuss the Salvation Army programs and Christmas season donation collection with Vinton Today. Joining them was a young man named Shawn, who is among those receiving the most help.

Shawn is participating in the transition house program, a strict, supervised one-on-one mentoring effort with Parker has his main companion. Recently released from jail after serving 8 months, Shawn is receiving mentoring, counseling and job training.

In a tearful interview in Gaston's office at Harvest Christian Fellowship Church in Vinton, Shawn says the intervention from the two men named Bob has helped him steer clear of drugs and prison, and given him hope for a future and eventual employment as a firefighter or EMT.

More than 100 families have received assistance from the Salvation Army this year, Gaston said. The goal is to help people make it on their own. Recent assistance included repairing a car damaged in a collision with a deer so a man could continue driving to work, and helping a family with the deposit so they could move out of an unheated basement and into their own home.

Although Vinton is among the smaller towns participating in Salvation Army Kettle Drives, it has been among the most successful fund-raising communities. Seventy percent of donations stay in Benton County; the other 30 percent goes toward Salvation Army services in other areas.

The Kettle Drive is the only fund-raiser that seeks community assistance. Gaston said that many people leaving Fareway deposit their change, while others who use bank cards request cash to donate to the kettle.

The main need for this program, says Gaston, is volunteers to ring the bell.

Individuals and groups that are interested in volunteering can contact Robert Parker at (319) 472-5352 or email him at parker.robert5239@yahoo.com.

This year there is also an opportunity for online giving. It is easy to access off the home page of the Salvation Army at: https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/ Simply fill in the information to give to the local community.