by Miranda McLeod
Staff Writer
Major James K. Seiler wanted to own his own business and work for himself. But a divine intervention changed that.
“Before when I was thinking about going into business for myself, it was all about me,” he said. “The Lord turned that focus around and I am convinced my life is different because of the work I’m doing.”
Seiler is the Area Commander of the Northeast Florida Area Command for the Salvation Army and he said he couldn’t be more content with his profession.
At the Salvation Army, Seiler gets to work with his wife, Major Karol Seiler, every day. In fact, they have co-joining offices.
Seiler also gets to don the Salvation Army uniform which he says opens more doors than anything, and he gets to help positively impact the community.
“It’s fun to wake up and go to work. I have a lot of job satisfaction making a difference in people’s lives,” said Seiler.
An ordained minister and committed leader as the voice of Northeast Florida’s Salvation Army, Seiler has been with the organization for 21 years and posted in Jacksonville since May 2003. Originally from Philadelphia, Seiler went to Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky., where he met his wife. Seiler received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Asbury — which boasts the largest single group of Salvation Army scholars in the world — and went to the University of Kentucky for his master’s degree in the same subject.
Currently, Seiler’s main concern is preparing for the holiday season while overcoming the hurricane season that drained the organization’s resources.
“100 percent of the money given for Katrina, Rita and Wilma went to Katrina, Rita and Wilma,” he said. “Not one cent went to overhead. I have never before seen the enormous outpouring we had with these hurricanes. I’m just hoping and praying the outpouring continues because the needs of the people in Jacksonville are just as important.”
According to The World’s Most Enduring Institutions study by Booz/Allen/Hamilton, “During the holiday season, the Army engages in its fundraising tradition of ringing bells and collecting change. These practices reaffirm each year in the public’s mind a distinctive image of the Salvation Army: a group of dedicated persons willing to stand in the cold, driven by deep religious commitment, part of long tradition of service and operating with great discipline.”
As the holiday season nears, Seiler said he is keeping his focus on the hurricane victims as well as the needy population here in Jacksonville.
“Holidays are the most significant because memories of this time are the cornerstone of family development,” he said. “We don’t want memories to be made of children with no food.”
Among other basic need programs, the Salvation Army also hosts an annual Thanksgiving lunch and Christmas dinner. One of Seiler’s favorite memories with the Salvation Army was his first Thanksgiving in Jacksonville.
“I was greeting people that day and this guy in a (Washington) Redskins jacket came in. I gave him a hard time because I’m a Dallas fan and they were playing that day (the Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving). I said he couldn’t bring that ‘pollution’ into here, joking of course.
“The guy knew every detail about football season, who was playing, the stats, where they were playing ... but he didn’t have a place to live. I’d like to think that conversation made a difference in that guy’s life. Just guys talking about football, like a normal Thanksgiving conversation. He was really interested in just talking about the state of football in the world.”
Another of Seiler’s responsibilities is to ensure that people are properly cared for in the shelters like the Red Shield Lodge on Adams Street or the Cold Night Shelter.
The Salvation Army houses 150 people a night at the Red Shield Lodge and when the temperature drops below 40 degrees, the Salvation Army lays mats on their gym floor to sleep 100 people at the Cold Night shelter which is staffed by volunteers from First Presbyterian Church.
Last year, the Salvation Army Northeast Florida Area Command had 16,306 volunteers helping 134,534 people in non-disaster related situations. During this year’s hurricane season, the Salvation Army assisted 596,944 individuals.
The Salvation Army is a non-profit organization that relies on public service grants from the City as well as donations from the community.
“These funds are essential during Christmas and the winter months,” said Seiler.
One of the Salvation Army’s most recognizable fundraisers, the Red Kettle Bell, begins Nov. 18. Income from the red kettles funds the holiday assistance programs and benefits struggling families, the working poor and homeless. Last year, the Salvation Army raised $230,000 for the local community.
“The ‘holiday spirit’ imparts an extra measure of inspiration to folks who are in a position to share, whether it be financial gifts or time spent volunteering. The Salvation Army’s programs of holiday assistance revolve around gifts, groceries and spiritual enrichment that give renewed hope and determination to struggling families,” said Seiler.