From the Grinchy look to Santa Claus clones to everyday wear, Salvation Army bell ringers soon will appear in front of businesses nationwide to raise money for the organization’s Red Kettle campaign that began in 1891.

This year, The Salvation Army Corps of El Paso County needs to hire 100 temporary workers and is looking for additional volunteers to join the efforts of its largest fundraiser.

Too few forces last year led to less than half of its usual hours and locations being covered, said local spokeswoman Jeane Turner.

“We couldn’t get enough paid workers or volunteers,” she said. “It was just really hard to get people to help out.”

Over the next few weeks, the organization will hold job fairs throughout El Paso County.

The seasonal work begins Nov. 14 and runs through Dec. 24. The pay is $16 an hour, and candidates must be 18 years old and bring a state-issued identification card or valid driver’s license and a social security card, birth certificate or passport to the interview.

Job fairs will be conducted:

• 10 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Serranos Coffee, 625 West Highway 15 in Monument;

• 10 a.m.-noon Thursday, Oct. 24, at Starbucks at 8193 Carmela Grove in Falcon;

• 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at The Salvation Army, 208 Cunningham Dr. in Fountain;

• 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, and 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, both at the Salvation Army’s headquarters, 908 Yuma St., in Colorado Springs.

The organization seeks to staff 56 bell-ringing sites around the county, which often includes “a lot of people who otherwise wouldn’t have employment an opportunity to make some pretty good money,” Turner said.

Ringers can work full-time or part-time and have flexible schedules. Volunteers can sign up for a few hours at a time, and businesses can rotate volunteers for shifts.

Last year’s Red Kettle drive raised just under $500,000, Turner said, and this year’s goal is to top that.

“The need for our services is so great,” she said.

All programs are seeing record-high levels of demand, from obtaining free food from its food pantry, to housing veterans to sheltering homeless families, “everything is at full capacity,” she said.

“It’s an interesting challenge for a lot of nonprofits — as the need goes up, donations tend to go down because everyone is feeling the pain at the grocery store and the gas pump,” Turner said. “We’re hoping everyone will put extra change in the kettles because it really does change lives in the community. Every penny donated stays in our community.”

Last year, one in every 15 El Paso County residents received services from The Salvation Army.

For more information on the job fairs, contact Melissa at 719-884-1053; to volunteer, call 719-520-1053. Information also is online at HelpColoradoSprings.com.