Panhandlers posing as Salvation Army bell ringers

We’ve come to know them and their bells.

Salvation Army bell ringers are often seen at shopping centers taking contributions to help those less fortunate.

“The Salvation Army has been doing bell ringing for over a century now,” said the local director of development for the Salvation Army, Rose Lucero.

Lucero said the funds raised by bell ringers are important to the organization.

“Last year we raised close to $300,000 through the Red Kettle campaign in El Paso,” Lucero said.

Lucero tells ABC-7 the money helped provide over 60,000 meals and over 27,000 nights of shelter for the homeless.

On any given day the Salvation Army can have up to 90 bell ringers throughout the city but now the organization has a problem on its hands.

“We’ve had multiple reports that there are panhandlers in the parking lots of various retail outlets and they are asking for donations and they are claiming to be part of the Salvation Army,” Lucero said.

So what do you have to look out for? To begin with bell ringers will never be in parking lots.

“They are near their stand, our bell ringers always wear an apron, they’ve always got a bell, they are not actively soliciting a donation and most importantly we ask the donors themselves to put the money in the kettle,” Lucero said.

Lucero tells ABC-7 that keeping the integrity of the organization is important to the cause.

“It raises a concern for us and that’s why we want people to know who are the official bell ringers,” Lucero said.

Lucero said the reports have come from all parts of town not one shopping center in particular.

Lucero also wants to remind everyone all the money that is raised by the Salvation Army in El Paso stays in El Paso.