As volunteers from the Salvation Army wheeled Elisabeth Long into Schulte's Fresh Foods, a small but boisterous crowd filled her familiar confines in the store's lobby.
For the past 20 Christmases, Long has called the lobby home, her red kettle and bell always in tow. For eight Christmases before, she stood outside in the cold - and always in a skirt.
About 20 people gathered at Schulte's on Friday afternoon to thank Long for her service to the Salvation Army and the community. Over her 28 years of ringing bells during the Christmas season, the Salvation Army estimated she has raised about $180,000 for the organization. Organizers of the event said they simply wanted to recognize someone who has done so much for the community.
During the short event, Schulte's owner John Schulte, assistant manager Harold Creed and Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin gave Long cards and gifts showing their appreciation for her hard work.
"When you're not here, the customers notice it," Creed told Long.
"We know every year when the (Christmas) season starts, we always look forward to Elizabeth showing up," Schulte told the crowd. "It kicks it off for us when we see her here, and it warms our hearts to have her serving the public the way she does."
The ruse caught Long off-guard as she looked in awe.
"I'm surprised," she said. "I didn't know anything about it."
Long's daughter Luanne Yarnell said Long didn't drive throughout her life, but she always managed to get to the store. Now at age 80, Long needs to sit in a wheelchair to ring. Because of her age, their weekly trip to Walmart is her big outing, and Yarnell said Long can't attend church anymore because she can't get on the bus.
"She lives for this every year," Yarnell said. "She loves it."
As the ceremony wrapped up, Long gave a miniature bell with the Salvation Army logo on it to her great-grandson, Jaxson Rapier, as her bigger bell sat on her lap. As Long struggled to put into words what this meant to her, the boy began to ring his bell, and people began to put money in the red kettle.
Born poor, Long rings her bell to help others, in the hope they too will help others.
"Because I was born during the Great Depression, I know what it is not to have much," Long said.
Yarnell also grew up poor and received assistance from the Salvation Army. For her first eight years of bell-ringing, Long stood outside in the cold, always in a skirt or dress because of her religious beliefs. Twenty years ago, Yarnell said two female customers demanded the store allow her to ring inside.
"So, she's cold wearing skirts as you can imagine," Yarnell said. "It's been nice since she's been able to come in. I know she appreciates that."
Jefferson City native Greg Maire organized the event through Facebook. He's shopped at Schulte's for years, he said, and the entire time Long has been a fixture at the store.
"She's just been a special person in all of our hearts in Jeff City," Maire said. "It's something to do for a silent girl in Jeff City."
The group's longest serving bell-ringer, Long rang six days per week in the past. Even at her age, she still rings from 2-7:30 p.m. four days per week during the Christmas season.
"We're really thankful for someone like Ms. Elisabeth who doesn't just do it a couple of times, or do it one time," said Christopher White, commander at the Salvation Army's Jefferson City chapter. "She brings something special to the store."
About a half-hour after the crowd left, Long sat by herself in the lobby. Red and green garland covered the armrests as the sound of the bell's chimes echoed throughout the lobby. She rings as much as she can to help as many people as she can in the hope that the gift of giving will forever keep giving.
"It's contagious," Long said.