In the spotlight again

A familiar face can be found on the cover of the Salvation Army’s Northern Highlights magazine this year.

Capt. Jim Brickson was featured in the Salvation Army’s publication. Brickson, however, had no idea that he would be the cover story.

Brickson, along with his wife, Capt. Lee Brickson, lead the Salvation Army in Albert Lea, and have done so since 2007.

Last Christmas, Capt. Brickson set a record for continuous bell ringing. He stood next to one of those iconic Salvation Army kettles for five days straight, or 105 hours.

That story went around the world, Brickson said. He did international interviews regarding the record he set, and it brought a lot of attention to Albert Lea.

Initially, Brickson didn’t know he was going to be on the cover of the magazine. Shortly after the magazine was sent out at the end of September, Brickson said he was in Blooming Prairie when someone brought up the cover story.

Brickson said he knew the story was in the magazine, but he had no idea it was going to be the cover.

“I didn’t see it coming,” he said.

Northern Highlights is a once-a-year publication, Brickson said, and it usually only features a handful of stories.

Since he’s learned that he’s on the cover of the magazine, Brickson said he’s been stopped by a few people who saw it, read it and recognized him. He said he’s just happy that the spotlight is on Albert Lea again.

Brickson said that since he’s been with the Salvation Army in Albert Lea it has been nothing like he’s experienced.

The magazine story described how Brickson and the Salvation Army have started up and brought a few programs to the Albert Lea area.

He is involved with the Salvation Army Motorcycle Ministry. The Salvation Army Motorcycle Ministry is an international group, but it’s gaining momentum in the Salvation Army’s northern division of Minnesota and North Dakota.

Brickson also is involved with Centershot, an eight-week program that combines archery and ministry for children and teenagers. Lee Brickson said it’s fun to see the kids who participate grow their skills and learn discipline.

Since the magazine article came out, Jim Brickson said the president of Centershot has since contacted him and verbally invited the participants in the Albert Lea program to attend the national championships.

Brickson said he was happy to be invited and thinks the kids will do well, but he stressed that he pushes them to be the best they can be, which may not align exactly with a conventional idea of what’s best.

“Doing your best is as rewardable as winning,” Brickson said.

The Bricksons are also involved with the Salvation Army’s meal site, having expanded it from serving one meal a week to serving five. The idea behind the meal site, arguably as well as the other two ministries Jim Brickson is involved with, is to not feed gospel first.

“You feed hungry people and you feed hungry souls,” Lee Brickson said, adding that some who visit the meal site are seeking food and some are seeking acceptance.

The meal site grew quickly and the Salvation Army tried to keep up, but Jim Brickson said that about a month ago, the meals were temporarily suspended.

Brickson said the Salvation Army used to have some other programs, such as an after-school program, but due to lowered attendance and more efforts being put in to the meal site, that program ended up being removed.

While the meal site has been suspended, Capt. Brickson said the Salvation Army has been looking at the program and reevaluating.

Brickson said the meals should start back up again in November with one meal per week. By January, he said he’s hoping to start increasing the amount of meals again.

The coming of the winter season also begins the Salvation Army’s most visible season. There are seven Salvation Army kettles around town per day in Albert Lea during the winter season, and the Bricksons said volunteers are always welcome.

Twenty-five percent of the Salvation Army’s yearly budget comes from the funds raised from bell ringing. Brickson said this all depends on how many volunteers come forward during the winter season.

The Bricksons also said that with the Red Cross moving to Rochester, more disaster work volunteers will be needed in that wake.

“Once people do it, they get addicted,” Lee Brickson said.

While the winter season is when people don’t forget about the Salvation Army, the Bricksons stressed that volunteers are always needed year-round.