The end of the three-hour bell-ringing shift was near as Vickie Wilkerson moved her small, gold bell up and down.

"I'll be hearing this in my sleep," she said.

Saturday at 11:45 a.m., Wilkerson, a volunteer, stood near the entrance of Kroger beside Tanglewood Mall next to a red, plastic kettle.

Wilkerson wasn't complaining. "As long as people hear it, the bell compels people to give," she said.

That's the message The Salvation Army hopes will ring loud and clear during its annual Red Kettle Campaign this Christmas season.

Though official numbers have not been tabulated yet, Jonathan Lee, a spokesman for The Salvation Army's Roanoke office, said the nonprofit organization that provides support and shelter to the poor has not received as much money as it had as of last year at this time. The campaign began Nov. 16 and runs until Dec. 24.

It's probably a result of the economic pressures that are hitting consumers nationwide, he said. Higher prices for gasoline and mortgage woes associated with a housing slump are among the factors expected to drive spending lower this season. That often affects how much people will give to charity.

"Supposedly shopping will be down; spending won't be as much as retailers hope," Lee said. "We have a feeling that it will" affect the level of donations to The Salvation Army.

That might not be the only reason people aren't stuffing as many dollar bills and quarters into the plastic kettle slots. Nowadays more people carry plastic money in the form of credit or debit cards. They often do not have cash, Lee said.

But for the first time, online donations are possible this year. By registering with the online Red Kettle donation program on The Salvation Army's Web site, groups or individuals can create their own kettles and encourage people to donate to them. Online donations generally require a credit card.

The idea of placing a card-swiping device with each kettle has also been considered for the future, Lee said, but nothing is definite.

"We definitely brainstorm about it, and, looking into the future years, how we're going to adjust to a society that does depend on cards," he said. "It's a conversation that's going on across the country."

Still, the organization's fundraising goal in Roanoke, $210,000, is higher than last year's. Last year, The Salvation Army received about $200,000, Lee said.

The Red Kettle Campaign has become a symbol of the holiday season, and it has a long history. It was started in 1891 in San Francisco by a Salvation Army captain, Joseph McFee, who wanted to host a free Christmas dinner for the city's poor residents. Inspired by a large pot that was used to collect charitable donations during his days as a sailor, McFee decided to launch a similar effort that has grown into a worldwide tradition.

The Red Kettle Campaign is The Salvation Army's most visible fundraiser, Lee said. It also requires the most labor.

Individuals or groups volunteer to ring bells and stand at kettle collection sites Monday through Saturday. Some shifts last as long as 10 hours.

Not everyone does it for free. The Salvation Army pays some people $7 an hour in Roanoke to help with the campaign. Some of the workers live at shelters helped by The Salvation Army.

There are currently 20 to 25 volunteers, including individuals and groups, for the Roanoke-area kettle fundraiser. There are also about 40 paid workers, said a volunteer coordinator for The Salvation Army in Roanoke.

The organization is short on volunteers through the rest of this month, though Lee said the number of volunteer groups has grown slightly this year.

Finding volunteers has been "harder and harder the last few years," Lee said. "It's because it's hard during the holiday season for folks to volunteer time. There's so much else going on with their family."

Some large groups try to make volunteering easier by splitting up shifts. A Sunday school class at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Roanoke split the day ringing bells on Saturday into two-hour shifts. As evening approached, the shifts were reduced to one-hour slots. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., groups of two staffed the Salvation Army kettle at the Kroger at Cave Spring Corners in Roanoke County.

Those who are paid to ring the bells may have a little more incentive to be spirited through the long shifts. Joseph Wright greeted shoppers walking into the Kmart at Crossroads Mall in Roanoke with an excited, "Merry Christmas" and, "May God bless you."

"I'd do it for free, if I could afford it," said Wright, with a smile.

After finding lodging through The Salvation Army for several weeks in early October, Wright now has his own apartment. He is a Vietnam War veteran who said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Next year, however, Wright plans to be a volunteer bell-ringer, because he hopes to have a regular job.

He credits The Salvation Army with helping him get back on his feet and start a new life.

"I have to give something back," Wright said.