Editor: The newspaper story said the Salvation Army kettle fund was short of 300 people. This old body of mine is still capable of standing a couple of hours for a few days, so I volunteered.

The experience has shown me the kindness of many people.

So far, I鈥檝e spent a few hours at the B.C. government liquor store location and a couple of hours in the mall.

If my short time is a fair indication, the booze buyers win hands down, as far as generosity is concerned. Few passed without a smile, a word of encouragement and, more importantly, a generous stuffing of bills or coins into the kettle鈥檚 slot.

Another act of kindness happened on Friday. A little old lady locked her keys in her car. A couple buying their Christmas cheer immediately volunteered their services, as did one of the liquor store employees, who produced a wire coat hanger for use in the operation to retrieve her keys.

The sunshine was also a bonus, as were the kind people who gave in support of the Sally Ann. More volunteers are needed for kettle duty, by the way. There was nobody to relieve me when I finished my shift at noon.

The kettle organizer鈥檚 phone number is (604) 514-7375

Mike Harvey,

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