Although this topic may be a carryover from the holidays, it also has relevance throughout the year.

While most holiday charitable giving campaigns are focused on helping those in need during the holidays, the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign is unique in that the funds donated are dispersed throughout the year.

Just as in the past, this year’s Kewaunee County kettle campaign was a testimony to the generosity of our communities. Overall, we received $20,756.54 in donations between Nov. 23 and Dec. 24.

Leading the giving once again were the Algoma sites with a total of $8,754.97, followed by Luxemburg at $6,439.31 and Kewaunee at $4,187.26. This includes $1,375 in checks that were received throughout the season.

These are some impressive numbers when you consider that most of these donations are in small amounts as people come and go from the kettle sites. We would like to thank the businesses who allow us to place these kettles and the bell ringing volunteers in their entrances.

We would also like to thank the many volunteers who took time from their lives to ring bells and encourage giving. There is no way we would have been as successful in our fundraising had the bell ringers not been at the sites as often as they were. I am always encouraged by the many new faces that volunteer each year and look forward to more new faces next season.

I would like to thank Jerry Guth for all of his efforts and that of his team for doing an amazing job once again in the Algoma area. I would also like to thank Annette Wust for her coordination at the Luxemburg sites. Looks like I need to pick up my game in the Kewaunee area, although I need to thank my dear mother, Pat Joski, for her endless hours camped out at the Kewaunee Piggly Wiggly kettle.

Big thanks also to all of the Nicolet Bank staff who process all of the transactions and patiently sort the contents of the kettles. Many hours were spent flattening out all of the rolled-up, crunched-up and otherwise jam-packed currency from the kettles.

It is important to note that these funds stay here in Kewaunee County to help those around us who find themselves in short-term need. These needs could be due to a sudden loss of employment or an unexpected medical bill. In these instances, the resources are sent directly to the vendor so that there is no doubt that the money is going toward its intended purpose.

I, along with Brenda Stoller have the unique privilege of being voucher writers for the Salvation Army here in Kewaunee County, which allows us to meet with and assist our neighbors throughout the year for needs such as utilities, rent, lodging, food, clothing and fuel. While we may be the persons filling out the voucher for them, we know that we are merely representatives of our community and all of its amazing generosity.

We are grateful for this role we play in changing people’s lives for the better, and we would encourage anyone who has an interest to please join our county unit of the Salvation Army. We meet on a quarterly basis and are always looking for fresh insights and perspectives on how we can better serve our community. Please give me a call if you are interested.

Matt Joski is Kewaunee County Sheriff.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign raises more than $20,000 to help Kewaunee County