“Thank you, God bless you and happy holidays.”

Terry Knight, 50, utters these words to everyone who puts money in his Salvation Army kettle, be it the kind that jingles or the kind that folds.

For the past several years, Knight has become a familiar face as a volunteer bell-ringer for the Salvation Army in Oskaloosa.

“In my first year, I had a lot of spiritual experiences,” said Knight as he rang his bell outside of Fareway Saturday morning. “It just made me want to keep doing it. I still get spiritual experiences doing it.”

Knight is no ordinary volunteer. He began bell-ringing under somewhat unconventional circumstances.

“I was in trouble with the law and I was doing it as community service,” Knight said.

After his first day of bell ringing ended with a rather large donation, the purpose behind the Salvation Army’s charitable efforts became crystal clear to Knight.

“Right then I knew it was a God thing,” said Knight. “This gives back to the community and helps other people that need help, so I’m very grateful for what they do.”

Of course, Knight has had other positive experiences while ringing his bell outside of places like Wal-Mart, Fareway and Hy-Vee. Knight recalled one instance in particular that he won’t soon forget.

A young boy, accompanied by his mother, stuffed a $50 bill in Knight’s red kettle. The mother explained the child’s action by saying they had recently been helped by the Salvation Army. The $50 had been Christmas money given to the child by his grandparents.

“That made me cry,” Knight said.

In his first year as a bell ringer, Knight would eventually bring in $7,000 to the Salvation Army, according to Jerry Morrison of the Mahaska County Salvation Army Extension Unit.

“That’s what it’s all about,” said Morrison. “Being compassionate and being God’s eyes and arms and hands in the world we live in here in Oskaloosa.”

At their annual breakfast to kick off the donation season this past Saturday, Oskaloosa Mayor Dave Krutzfeldt was given the duty of honorary Mahaska County Salvation Army chairman. He spoke on the importance of the volunteer organization, saying this past year has been particularly difficult for some local residents.

“With the layoffs and downsizing, families had to rethink the way that they lived,” said Krutzfeldt. “Nights are spent wondering if jobs are going to last. It’s real easy to get discouraged.”