Standing inside the newest Kroger store in Johnson County is a man quickly becoming a familiar face to local shoppers.
Wearing a red apron with a bell in hand, Indianapolis resident Marty Nuemann is one of about 150 volunteers who will stand watch at the 14 iconic Salvation Army red kettles throughout Johnson County this year. The local Salvation Army office has a goal to raise $110,000 this year, a step up from its previous high of $104,000 in 2015.
A veteran who retired from auto body repairs and truck driving, Nuemann often sports a baseball cap emblazoned with the words “Vietnam Veteran.” He’s found the hat is often a good starting point for conversations.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryHe rings the same bell he started with when he first began volunteering at Greenwood Park Mall four years ago. Salvation Army Maj. Charles Kennedy, who organizes the bell ringing in Johnson County, first convinced Nuemann to give it a try after they met at the mall. Nuemann volunteered at the mall for two years, was at the Kroger store on Meridian Parke Drive last year and this year has been at the newest Kroger location at the intersection of State Road 135 and Smokey Row Road.
Kennedy is still looking for more volunteers to join Nuemann in ringing bells at local red kettle locations.
So far, about 80 volunteers have signed up. Kennedy estimates another 80 to 90 will be needed to fill in time slots at kettles across the county.
Whether it is for two hours or eight, any help they can get is appreciated, he said.
Nuemann mans one of the iconic red kettles about five days a week, working 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days from Monday to Friday. He began earlier in November, when Happy Thanksgiving was still the appropriate greeting of the season. He now wishes shoppers a merry Christmas and will be doing so through Christmas Eve.
With several friends who received help through the Salvation Army in their battles with addiction, Nuemann has a great respect for the services the nonprofit provides to the community, he said.
“I’ve seen what they do,” he said.
The cash and coins collected in the kettles constitute about half of the Salvation Army’s yearly budget in Johnson County, Kennedy said.
The Salvation Army uses those funds to support its food shelf and provide financial assistance year-round for those in need, ranging from help with paying utilities to finding lodging, he said.
Salvation Army programs support more than 1,000 people each year, Kennedy said.
Nuemann makes it his goal to greet everyone who is coming or going at Kroger. Time flies by fast during his eight-hour shift, he said.
Volunteering is his way of giving back, Nuemann said.
Bell ringing efforts have been underway for a while, with volunteers asking for donations at Kroger and Greenwood Park Mall as early as Nov. 11.
“We appreciated it,” Kennedy said. “It gets us going and gets it in motion. We turn it up full blast the day after Thanksgiving.”
About $25,000 had been raised by the middle of this week, Kennedy said.
“Things look like it will be pretty good as long as the weather doesn’t get real bad on us,” he said.
Weather is a critical factor in how much money the kettles bring in for the Salvation Army, Kennedy said.
Rainy days on several weekends can put a damper on fundraising and make it more difficult to find volunteers for outdoor kettle locations, he said.
The ideal scenario: 30 degrees with an inch of snow on the ground, the perfect weather to put people in the Christmas spirit, Kennedy said.
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How to volunteer
The Johnson County Salvation Army is seeking volunteers to man its red kettles at 14 locations across the county. Volunteers can sign up online at registertoring.com.
Anyone with questions can call 317-370-2366 or 371-881-2505.
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Here is where you can donate to one of the Salvation Army’s red kettles this year:
Greenwood
- Greenwood Park Mall, 1251 S. U.S. 31
- Kroger, 2200 Independence Drive
- Kroger, 3100 Meridian Parke Drive
- Kroger, 5961 N. State Road 135
- Marsh, 2904 S. State Road 135
- Sam’s Club, 1101 Windhorst Way
- Walgreens, 700 S. U.S. 31
- Walgreens, 720 S. State Road 135
- Walmart, 882 S. State Road 135
- Walmart, 1133 Emerson Ave.
Franklin
- Walmart, 2125 N. Morton St.
- Kroger, 970 N. Morton St.
- Walgreens, 20 S. Morton St.
- Big Lots, 1538 N. Morton St.
Edinburgh
- Circle K, 10080 N. U.S. 31
- Edinburgh Premium Outlets, 11622 NE Executive Drive
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