No joke: Bell ringer’s last name is Winterringer
Story by Craig Dirkes, Salvation Army Northern Division writer/photographer
A 45-year-old man in Grand Rapids, Minn., is scheduled to ring bells in the cold and snow for more than 200 hours this Christmas season.
Incredibly, the man’s last name is none other than … Winterringer.
Michael Winterringer has been ringing outside the local Walmart every weekday since Thanksgiving, and he is scheduled to continue through Christmas Eve. He has rung in the same spot, 40 hours per week, during the past three Christmas seasons as well.
He has loved every minute of it.
“You know that feeling you get when you fall in love with Jesus? That’s the way I feel when I ring bells,” Winterringer said.
He credits Jesus with saving him from addiction. Winterringer spent most of his adulthood on the streets hooked on drugs and alcohol. He lives with several mental disabilities.
“Ninety-nine percent of people wouldn’t have survived what I went through,” said Winterringer, who will celebrate five years of sobriety this coming May. “The only reason I’m alive is because of God.”
Beating addiction
Since the late 1990s Winterringer has lived in cities throughout northern Minnesota, including Ely, Virginia, Hibbing, and others. He’d previously lived in multiple cities along the West Coast. Most of the time, he was homeless.
His lifelong bout with addiction ended four years ago, when he moved to Grand Rapids and got involved with a Presbyterian church in the nearby city of Coleraine.
“There are no words to explain the depths of God’s love,” Winterringer said, fighting back tears. “It’s better than any drug. It’s better than any drink.”
Although Winterringer has no relationship with his family, several members of his church have been like parents to him, as have members of other churches he has attended in northern Minnesota.
“They were there for me, even when I was drinking and using,” he said.
Today, Winterringer has a part-time job, lives in his own apartment, and manages his own finances, all with minimal assistance.
Love rings true
Winterringer’s kettle at Walmart is the busiest one in Grand Rapids, and he’s happy to be there.
“I’ve always wanted to be a bell ringer – ever since I was a little kid,” Winterringer said.
Without his help, the kettle would go largely unstaffed and would raise little money. With him, the kettle raises an average of $30 per hour – money that The Salvation Army uses to provide food, clothing, housing and energy assistance, and other critical services for Grand Rapids families in need.
Although ringing bells outside for eight hours a day is frigid work, Winterringer doesn’t mind the cold. In fact, he almost prefers it.
“I lived a major portion of my life on the streets – being outside is like being home,” he said.
Local Salvation Army staff members adore Winterringer not only for his work ethic, but for the person he is.
“Michael is incredible,” said Kathleen Saelens, a Salvation Army social worker in Grand Rapids. “What stands out about him is his love of God. It just shines. Given his life story, for him to have so much love is a lesson for all of us.”
The Salvation Army needs volunteer bell ringers across Minnesota and North Dakota now through Christmas Eve. Just two hours of ringing raises enough money for The Salvation Army to feed a family of four for three days. Find a kettle location near you and register today.