Everyone knows of The Salvation Army. The organization has been around since 1875 and has been servicing people and communities all over the world. In fact, it currently operates in 118 different countries. That’s an impressive number, sure, but do we really know what all The Salvation Army encompasses and how many different services they actually provide?
The organization provides shelter, food assistance, drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs, senior services, non-resident corrections programs, disaster services, child development centers and plenty more. The list goes on and on.
“We cater to a lot of different classes of people,” Jill Black, public relations coordinator for the Downtown location, says. “And they’re all run by volunteers.”
Black says they’re currently recruiting volunteers for one of their busiest times of year— Christmas.
To put things into perspective, Black says on average, they usually serve over 14,000 people during the Christmas holidays alone.
The ringing bells that you see and hear outside of grocery stores and other locations are part of the organization’s “Red Kettle Campaign.” The campaign officially kicks off Nov. 20 and the money donated goes a long way. The funds strengthen their involvement in the community and the programs that help enrich it.
“We already have partnerships with major churches in the area but we’re working on recruiting more,” Black says.
The Angel Tree program is also another service that keeps the Downtown team extremely busy during the Christmas holidays.The program provides new clothing and toys for children in need.
This year, the applicant requirements have changed to adjust accordingly to the economy.
“The guidelines are different than in the past,” Black says. “We’re seeing so many new classes of people who now need assistance. People are losing their jobs or their hours have been cut back. Some of these people never would have qualified in the past so it’ll bring the folks in who typically wouldn’t have a chance.”
One of the new requirements is one member of the household has to have held a job within the past year.The application process begins Sept. 14.
As if these two programs weren’t enough to keep The Salvation Army team busy, they’re also working on another program, one that isn’t centered around the holidays.
“The economy has taken such a negative turn, we’re seeing a lot more hunger issues,” Black says. “We’re trying to collaborate with other organizations on a campaign to address the issue. The more people involved, the better result we’ll have.
“Sometimes you see the same faces. But when you see someone you’ve never seen before and you see just how much they appreciate it, that right there makes our job valid. Helping those less fortunate is what I enjoy most.”