A Salvation Army kettle was stolen from in front of Hobby Lobby on Willow Pass Rd. in Concord this evening, and in a separate incident, a bell ringer was harassed at a local Safeway, according to readers who witnessed the incidents.
Here’s what she had to say:
“I was just at Hobby Lobby (5:00 on Wed evening). I was paying at the register right inside the door and the bell ringer came rushing in, someone had taken her bucket. She had been walking back and forth, not 3 feet from the bucket, and when she turned back towards the store the bucket was gone.
Yesterday my husband was at Safeway on Denkinger and as he was coming toward the store he saw/heard someone harassing the bell ringer. There was another man coming out of Safeway who scared the jerk away.
Can you put a message out there to remind people to look out for the Salvation Army bell ringers? They are doing such special work and most people are supportive, there are always those few jerks.”
This is at least the third kettle that has been stolen from central Contra Costa County in the last few weeks, and the second from in front of Hobby Lobby.
Please be nice to the bell ringers, and if you see someone harassing them or acting suspicious in the area, don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1.
The Salvation Army exists to meet human need without discrimination in every zip code across the United States.
When you give, your donation directly benefits those in need throughout your local community.
To donate to the Salvation Army, please click on the image shown above.
My sister was once a salvation army bell ringer & I try to always give when I see them in front of stores
A few years ago I rang a Salvation Army bell in front of Food Max. Everyone was very pleasant to me. I sang Christmas carols as the mood moved me and luckily no one threw tomatoes at me!! I’m not a very good singer, but I love to sing!
I happened to be in Concord today, and I gave at the Safeway on Denkinger. I’m sure it was the same lady bell ringer who was there yesterday. I’m still wearing my thanks for donating sticker.
If you’re bell ringing for the Salvation Army, don’t turn your back from the bucket of money. Especially if it’s dark. All it takes is two seconds to steal the money. You should be especially cautious knowing that two buckets had already been stolen this season. I’m sure the employees were aware of this.
The Salvation Army is a wonderful organization.
I had to go to Denkinger Safeway one morning after working all night a couple of months ago. Surprised how many aggressive transients hang out there before the store has even opened in the morning. Really creepy. Don’t go there any more. Everyone used to choose Denkinger Safeway over Willow Pass. I’m hating shopping at Safeway period. Their meat sucks, their vegetables and fruit suck and they are always out of Horizon Whole milk.
Evenings after 9 pm not so good.
9 am is pretty good and not too crowded. Never been to the new one in the Orchards…wonder how it compares.
Our society is really going down the crapper. Please be kind to the Bell Ringers and report any jackass who harasses them.
Brown/Newsom’s legacy.
On camera maybe?
When an opportunity is there,an opportunist goes to work.
People need to stop being in denial of what other humans are willing to do.
One wouldn’t leave their own bucket of money unwatched in the same place for any amount of time,.Think about that.
Well Mev if you hate Safeway that much don’t shop there simple as that
I drive past Safeway on my way to FoodMaxx.
I spread out my shopping now. I used to exclusively shop at Safeway but find their items higher in price and their produce rotten beforem it gets home. I go to Traders for Vegis and their store brands, Costco for bulk items, Grocery Outlet for sale items and things such as like toothpaste and beverages. I use Safeway for milk, cheese and bread and gift cards. Although for awhile someone at the Alamo store was ringing up the giftcards for a much lower price and pocketing the leftover $$. Quit buying giftcards there.
The bellringers should add a bell or keep a string attached to their body from the bucket so they know when it’s getting taken away.
Either way, this shouldn’t be the solution. People need to stop being such assholes to those just trying to earn money for the poor and doing their job. Stop making it harder than it already is in this weather!
Really??
The bell ringers should be responsible? Not the thieves? With Salvation Army, all the thieves needed to do was ask for help at the Salvation Army, and they would have received it. The Salvation Army funds anyone who needs help, without consideration for their , religion, race , financial consideration. Just out of goodness.
Ringing up gift card for less than requested is not a very smart idea, how long did it take before the person was found out. I work retail (Mayc’s) and sell gif card on a regular basis, when the transaction is done, the computer prints out 2 receipts, one regular, so if you bought a sweater for $12.00 and socks for $4.99 and a $25.00 gift card all would be listed on one receipt, and then a second receipt for the gift card only, clearly stating the amount on the card. All someone has to do is look at the receipt and they would see the amount is wrong.
That is why I do not give to the Salvation Army Kettles. I refuse to have my money stolen.
If you really wanted to give there are other ways. First of all I believe the kettles stolen are a low percentage, but I understand your point. As someone said you can give on line as well. I donate to the Solana and Contra Costa Food Bank, always through the mail and by check.
Disgusting pigs stealing from these good causes. This is what you get when a city is not serious about stopping crime an protecting the citizens. Look at BART. There’s a common denominator and that sits right in the laps of the government officials that are in control. Vote these lap dogs out of office, or you deserve what you get.
Disgusting that anyone would steal from the Salvation Army, I’m not religious, but always give to the bell ringers at Christmas time whenever I pass them.
Growing up in the Denmark in the late forties and fifties, my mother would always give to them, even though we didn’t have that much ourselves, especially right after the war.
Woah
Such disbelief and surprise
Well welcome to sanctuary socialism communism
This is what you voted for
Degradation and well off politicians
Bums and criminals
Utopia
Stop complaining it only gets worse from here on
Because it won’t get better that’s for sure
You will also get to pay for a soccer stadium and the upkeep
Oh and it will be unions running the show so you get to pay even more lol
Wow just too funny
This is just as low as the guy who stole the Girl Scouts cookie money and cookies. These crimes should have an extra penalty not a get out of jail free card because we live in CA.
I wish we could send them to Saudi Arabia for behavior modification and ‘medical treatment’.
My niece went to Baldwin Park preschool about 10 years ago and they have a big Christmas celebration and show. Santa comes to visit the kids so the teacher asks each parent to bring a gift for Santa to give their child. They store them in the room next door. Well that year the teacher went to get the gifts when it was time and they were gone. Someone broke in during that morning and stole the gifts.
Well a few dads remembered seeing a homeless man standing by the building so they went looking around the park. Sure enough he had a shopping cart full of toys that he was unwrapping. After a short time with him the police were called and he was hauled off . The police took pictures of the stuff and gave the toys back. People are just terrible sometimes
Perhaps Hobby Lobby should hire a real-time security guard! Didn’t a man bash a woman to the ground and steal her cell phone right outside their front door a short while ago?
That location is close to the creek (and other) open space transient corridors which are supplying car vandalisms and snatches in both The Willows and Veranda shopping centers.
Yesterday, I saw two Clayton Police cars slowly cruising around in Clayton Station. And a couple of days ago, as I was getting out of Brünhilda to go into the Denkinger Safeway, a tall, young black woman in a nice jeans outfit was in my face just as I had closed and locked my car…. I.e. she was actually in between my car and the one next to me. She started in on the reason she needed me to give her money, but she immediately turned away when I told her I didn’t have money to spare right then. Still, the minute I entered the store, I told Customer Service the part of the lot the woman was working; she said she would ask for a police drive-by and would notify the store’s baggers and carry-out helpers. I was only shopping for one item, but there indeed were CPD patrol vehicles moving through the lot when I came out.
*** BOTH the Clayton Station and Denkinger Safeway’s are adjacent to transient corridors, and the one downtown is in the BART zone.
Be careful, everyone!
“‘Tis the season”, I guess.
Bell ringers should get CCW’s!
not one cent to the SA
BTW the Salvation Army has the highest percentage of donations going towards those they help.
If I’m going to donate to a good cause I want my money going to the cause and not “overhead”
Hmmmm, 108RS should be 10-8 more often, too busy running two businesses.
108RS
This really is a new holiday low. Time to put dye packs in the kettles.
Giving online to The Salvation Army is safer plus some companies will match the donation amount 100% which is wonderful.
Dope fiends Creek bums all the moongang riftraff.
Does Hobby Lobby have cameras in front of their building? Let’s light that POS up.
The liberals got what they paid/voted for…. decriminalize everything then wring their hands and blame everyone else when crime increases.
But I don’t see the liberals taking in the homeless – they just whine about it and want to raise taxes for “someone else” to do it.
Classic NIMBYism.
Redevelop the Kettles with a low voltage charge and a remote push button. Some one takes the Kettle just push the button shock the punk.
How about securing the kettle to it’s chain and the chain to the tripod so that the thief must pick up the entire assembly to steal. Make the tripod so that it’s harder to collapse for transport. Also require the bell ringer remain within 8′ of the kettle and keep an eye on it.
That would work. I just thought my idea would be more entertaining and fun payback!
When I donated at Safeway on Denkinger yesterday, she was standing so close to the kettle that you would have to take her with you, if you wanted to steal the kettle. I thought she’d back up a little when people put money in, but she didn’t. A very wise lady.
Its supposed to be locked,how long have they been doing this in crimeifornia?Sounds like an inside job,they didnt hear it running away?The bell ringer has ear plugs in,or is on the phone all day with ear plugs.They should fire the bell ringer.
To all of the people afraid that their donation will be stolen or misused…I’d like to suggest that the Salvation Army (and many other charities) are more efficient and have less stolen/diverted than California government. Too bad I can’t divert money from that criminal enterprise!
Much appreciate Claycord for posting information and news that helps citizens be aware of what’s happening in our local communities. More helpful than what is posted on Nextdoor (Walnut Creek) neighborhoods. The snowflakes control Nextdoor and any mention of a vagrant causing problems is considered offensive. If you post anything against the “homeless” on Nextdoor, you get reported and the post is removed. Those posters wonder what happened to their comment and why it was removed. “Homeless” is now one of Walnut Creek’s new industries.
I am a peaceful person, but If I ever see anyone harassing a bell ringer I can assure you THEIR bell will be rung.
The bell ringers are an annoying nuisance. I would much rather donate online. They don’t deserve to be harassed or harmed though!
People who harass Bell Ringers for no reason, and steal from them are scum.
And, if you get annoyed from Bell Ringers during the holidays, you are probably just a bitter person.