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Territorial leader reflects on the generosity of the Finnish people.
Standing at the red kettle in Helsinki, Finland, Commissioner Vibeke Krommenhoek enjoys sharing the joy of Christmas with passersby.
Krommenhoek revealed that she sings—both Finnish and international carols—while standing at the kettle, so that people will not only see the kettle, but also hear the message of Christmas.
In Finland, people also bring parcels to the kettle (visible in the photo) for The Salvation Army to distribute to needy families.
In the Helsinki, area, the Army collects approximately 220,000 euros (US$303,116) in one week’s time, and about 1 million euros (US$1.38 million) in all of Finland—as Krommenhoek notes, “not bad for a country with only 5.4 million inhabitants!
“During my 28 years of officership, I have been involved in the Christmas kettle campaign in five different countries,” she said, “but never have I seen such a generous response by the public as in Finland.”
Commissioners Dick and Vibeke Krommenhoek are territorial leaders in the Finland and Estonia Territory.
