The Salvation Army bell ringers are out again with their red kettles and friendly greetings, but they’re not having much luck filling the kettles this year.

Donations “are down in the south King County area,” said Lonnie Franklin, western Washington field representative for Salvation Army.

Franklin attributed some of the slowdown to the poor economy and some to the fact that more shoppers use credit or debit cards instead of cash for holiday purchases, leaving them no change to toss in the kettles.

Donations of another kind – new, unwrapped toys for Salvation Army to distribute as Christmas gifts for underprivileged children – can be made at donation barrels at any Bartell Drugs or Fred Meyer stores.