Longtime bell ringer joins Lafayette in launching Salvation Army’s 'Red Kettle Campaign'

LAFAYETTE, La. — For three decades, David Malveaux has devoted his holiday season to ringing the Salvation Army’s iconic red kettle bell — a tradition rooted in compassion and community.

“I've been doing this close to 30 or 31 years,” Malveaux said. There's one simple reason he keeps coming back year after year. “The people… the little kids, the older people," he said.

Malveaux joined the community at Lafayette City Hall to help kick off this year’s Red Kettle Campaign, an annual fundraising effort that provides holiday and year-round assistance to families facing financial hardship.

“There are a lot of individuals, especially during the holiday season, they may have to make a decision — ‘Do I put food on our table or do I get Christmas gifts for my children?’” said Salvation Army Capta