Wedding and engagement rings left in Massachusetts Salvation Army kettle with touching note

WALTHAM — What started with a widow quietly dropping her wedding rings into a Salvation Army donation kettle around 2014 has spawned acts of jewelry generosity ever since, including right here in Waltham.

As she was counting money after collecting Red Kettles from multiple sites on Thursday night, Lt. Nicole Fullop of The Salvation Army in Waltham found a wedding band and an engagement ring with a note — an anonymous donor put them in a red kettle at the Market Basket in Waltham.

“This ring is being given in love for a second time,” the anonymous donor wrote. “Like the first time, I hope that this ring will bring joy and make a difference.”

The rings are valued at an estimated $1,500. They will now be put directly toward helping families and others in need in the Waltham area this holiday season.

Over the years, donors have donated valuable jewelry and rare coins with notes that have helped the non-profit raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to support critical social services in communities statewide. In recent days, donations of rare, valuable coins at Salvation Army kettles across the country have made headlines.

This year, The Salvation Army hopes to raise $2.5 million in Massachusetts through its iconic red kettle campaign. There’s still time to donate or register to ring as a volunteer! The campaign ends Christmas Eve.

“We are honored and humbled that someone would care enough to give something this precious to The Salvation Army to help others,” said Lt. Nicole Fullop, The Salvation Army in Waltham. “Donors dropping valuable jewelry and coins with notes into kettles has been happening for years and is often a reminder of how the kettle is a sign of hope.”

Each year, The Salvation Army will serve more than 24 million people across America – including many here in Massachusetts. That means over 55 million meals for the hungry, over 10 million nights of shelter for the homeless, and countless Christmas gifts for children who may otherwise go without.

Volunteers who are interested in helping The Salvation Army in a community near them can learn more by visiting: SalvationArmyMA.org.