RICHMOND, IN — The Salvation Army of Richmond is known to giving back to those in need all year round, but especially during the holiday season.
On Christmas Eve, the Salvation Army received a Christmas present of its own from an anonymous donor at its Hobby Lobby location.
It was the second-to-last day of the organization’s annual Red Kettle Campaign, which uses the donations it receives to support local programs including its food and personal needs pantry and limited utility assistance.
As Maj. Charles Pinkston counted the donations from Christmas Eve, he discovered a surprise tucked into a $1 bill.
That surprise turned out to be a 1-ounce gold South African Krugerrand coin, valued at $4,075.60 after Pinkston sold it to a place that gave him 92% of its overall value.
The Salvation Army’s goal was to raise $35,000 in its red kettles leading up to Christmas, and before Pinkston found the coin, it was short at $33,736.98.
The coin put the Salvation Army above its goal.
“We were really surprised at first,” Pinkston said. “Just to think that there are individuals out there in the community who do want to help those that are in need, it just kind of warms your heart.”
Pinkston said of the seven locations he and his wife had been stationed, they had received Krugerrand coins and other 1-ounce gold coins at three or four locations, including in Richmond.
“Not the last place we were at but the place before, they would actually write out a different scripture verse every year and wrap it around the coin and then fold it up in a $1 bill,” he said. “It’d be easy for them just to go write a check, but to take the time to get something special and to allow someone to find it in that bucket, it’s really a neat aspect to me.”
Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email at eweaver@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Salvation Army gifted a Christmas surprise near end of kettle campaign
Reporting by Evan Weaver, Richmond Palladium-Item / Richmond Palladium-Item
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