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It’s that time of year again when bell ringers for the Salvation Army set out to locations around Austin to raise money for the SA’s many programs.

However, with the COVID-19 pandemic still surging, the SA is still looking for volunteers to man the six locations: Walmart, Hy-Vee, Runnings, Hobby Lobby, Sterling Main Street and Jim’s Marketplace.

The kettle season started on Nov. 13 at a few sites, but now the campaign is in full swing, making the need for volunteers greater.

“We have 1,500 volunteer hours to cover and we’re just over 500 right now,” said Major Jeff Strickler . “We’re a third of the way there.”

The reasons for those maybe not taking part in the campaign this year vary from senior citizens not wanting to risk getting the coronavirus to some possibly turning away because of the recent spike in general.

“These are just a number of factors that make people a little hesitant,” Strickler said.

For those who still want to volunteer, they are encouraged to visit registertoring.com. Precautions are taken at each site, including wiping down the buckets after each volunteer as well as masks and sanitizer to be offered at each station.