The Salvation Army kicked off its annual Red Kettle campaign over the weekend, but it does not have enough bell ringers to staff its donation buckets.

The nonprofit is seeking to raise $2 million during its holiday campaign, and a good portion of that comes from coins and dollar bills dropped in red buckets placed outside store entrances and on street corners. To reach that goal, Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to ring bells near the kettles and draw attention to the campaign.

The organization providing struggling families with food, housing and financial assistance throughout the year needs bell ringers to fill 15,000 hours, but so far only 4,000 hours have been reserved.

"Volunteers are the foundation of our Red Kettle campaign, because a kettle with a bell ringer will raise between $80 and $100 an hour — enough to feed three families for a week," said Salvation Army Northern Division Lt. Col. Randall Polsley. "All the analysis we've done confirms that a kettle without a ringer collects no donations, so volunteering as a bell ringer makes all the difference."

Last year, the Salvation Army tested a new system at select kettles to allow donors to use credit cards and smartphones to make digital contributions. This year Salvation Army will use its "Tap To Give" devices at more Twin Cities locations.

"Many people no longer carry cash with them, and with 'Tap To Give,' we've made it incredibly easy to quickly make a small donation at the red kettle," Polsley said.

Revenue during the annual holiday campaign was up last year, but still has not returned to levels prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. But the need for help continues as families face high prices for rent, food and utilities, they added.

"As more and more people come to the Salvation Army for help, we in turn rely on volunteer bell ringers for their help at this most important time of year," said Sophie Crowell, volunteer relations director of the Salvation Army Northern Division.

Salvation Army's kettle tradition started in San Francisco in 1891 when Capt. Joseph McFee collected coins in a kettle to fund a Christmas dinner for the poor. The idea spread and, today, that tradition continues throughout the world.

Individuals, families, churches, businesses and others who want to help and begin their own bell-ringing tradition can sign up at RegisterToRing.com.