Salvation Army Seeks Donations For Uninsured Fire Victims

In phases over the past few weeks, The Salvation Army has been working to provide various forms of assistance to victims of the Black Forest Fire.

When the flames were active, the Salvation Army supplied food and other essentials for first responders and evacuees, and collectively contributed over 2,000 hours of volunteer work. In the direct aftermath of the fire, the Salvation Army took on the colossal task of supporting Black Forest residents with both physical and emotional care.

Now that the embers have cooled, the Salvation Army is facing their most financially challenging mission yet — providing recovery assistance to home and business owners who lack adequate insurance.

Recent estimates show that 28% of the homes destroyed and 95% of the businesses were not insured. The Salvation Army wants to accommodate everyone in need, but it is monetarily impossible given the amount of donations received up to this point, especially in combination with the funds needed for ongoing recovery efforts after last year’s Waldo Canyon Fire.

For these reasons, the Salvation Army is sending out a plea for help. If you wish to aid the Salvation Army with local disaster relief operations, click here, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or text GIVEHOPEIM to 80888 to donate $10.

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YOU CAN HELP STOCK OUR FOOD PANTRIES!

 

It’s no secret that nutrition is a key component to a healthy and happy life. This is true for everyone and is especially crucial for children and their development. Food insecurity has become a widespread issue across our nation. Too many families are unsure about where and when their next meal will come from.

Feeding America reports that in 2011, 50.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, comprised of 33.5 millionadults and 16.7 million children.

The Salvation Army recognizes the severity of this issue and has long been dedicated to helping families meet this basic need. This is why our food pantries, which provide groceries for individuals and families in need, are so crucial in helping us combat food insecurity.

But we need your help to keep these pantries stocked!

Macomb, Michigan is a prime example. In May of this year, the Macomb Salvation Army assisted 99 families with food boxes in McDonough County and count on donations to keep their good work going.

Due to their food pantry stock running uncomfortably low, The Salvation Army of Macomb petitioned the community for food donations to help restore their inventory. Specifically, canned essentials such as soup, fruit, meats, peanut butter and crackers are needed. If you live in Macomb, click here to learn more.

If you’d like to donate a bag (or more!) of nonperishable foods to your local Salvation Army food pantry, check out our main website for a list of locations near you:  www.SalvationArmyUSA.org.

For monetary donations and other ways to give, visit: www.donate.salvationarmyusa.org.

Learn more about The Salvation Army here.

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OUT-OF-STATE SALVATION ARMY TEAMS ARRIVE TO AID IN COLORADO FIRES

The Salvation Army begins feeding operations at the West Fork Fire shelter in Del Norte. Teams remain on standby to provide relief in the East peak Fire burning near Walsenburg.

The Salvation Army will continue to meet both short and long term needs as long the organization is called to do so.

Salvation Army disaster services are made possible by monetary donations which allow us to meet the unique, immediate needs of communities in crisis. If you would like to support individuals and families in need of assistance, please visit www.imsalvationarmy.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) and designate “Colorado Fires.” You may also text GIVEHOPEIM to 80888 to donate $10 to The Salvation Army.*

Donations by mail may be designated “Colorado Fires” and sent to:

The Salvation Army
P.O. Box 60006
Prescott, AZ 86304

Information courtesy of http://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/.

Click here to donate.

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The John Fredericks Show - Vehicle Donation Pledge Campaign

The Salvation Army and the John Fredericks Show is partnering with the Salvation Army to deliver vehicle donations for the Adult Rehabilitation Program. Please spread the word!

When you donate a vehicle to the Salvation Army you help the Salvation Army and the Adult Rehabilitation Centers of Northern Virginia in their charitable mission. When you are ready to donate, simply call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.

Pick up and towing is free and all you need is the vehicle information and a clear title. Donating to the Salvation Army is a great tax deduction and it feels good to give to a charity that makes a difference right here in the community. So, please pledge to donate a vehicle to the Salvation Army today with the John Fredericks Show!

The John Fredericks Show is a syndicated radio talk show host in Virginia, Washington D.C and Baltimore and can be heard Monday through Friday 6-9AM on WTNT AM730 / 102.9FM in Baltimore and Washington D.C., WLEE AM 990 in Richmond, Virginia, WHKT AM 1650 in Tidewater – Hampton Roads, Virginia and WBRG 1050AM / 104.5 FM in Lynchburg – Roanoke- Charlottesville

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Salvation Army Survey Finds Families Going Without Food

The Salvation Army says 28 per cent of its respondents could not afford a substantial meal once a day.

More than half of respondents to a Salvation Army survey are often going without meals, while two-thirds are having to cut down on buying basic necessities.

The National Economic and Social Impact Survey is the charity's biggest study of its clients, surveying 2,700 people across more than 200 Salvation Army centres around the nation.

The findings also highlight the impact poverty is having on children, with many missing out on school activities, new uniforms and annual dental check-ups.

Salvation Army spokesman Major Bruce Harmer says the findings are alarming.

"This report shows that the issues that we're facing as a community are deepening and the Salvation Army is concerned how families out there are faring just below the radar," he said.

"Families are a very big part of our community, and if parents are unable to provide for their families they face stark realities and stark choices - like 'will I feed my family or will I keep my family warm?'.

Key Findings

• 2,705 clients surveyed across 237 Salvation Army centers
• 66 per cent have cut down on basic necessities
• 28 per cent cannot afford a substantial meal once a day
• 27 per cent cannot afford heating in one room of the house
• 58 per cent can't pay utility bills on time
• 92 per cent have no savings
• 35 per cent cannot afford prescriptions

"And the flow-on effects for children as they grow up in a dysfunctional or disadvantaged family are very severe indeed."

Major Harmer says 30 per cent of people surveyed could not afford to fill prescriptions after going to the doctor, and 60 per cent were unable to access dental treatment.

"The findings are quite disturbing to the Salvation Army," he said.

"To have to say no to your children if they can't go to a party because they can't afford a present or they can't go to a school-based activity because they can't afford it... these things have a cumulative effect and children grow up disadvantaged and they miss out on the luxuries of life.

"But for the parent, they feel like they've failed and they feel like they've let their children down."

The Salvation Army estimates that one in six children in Australia now live at or below the poverty line.

Half of the people who took part in the survey have children in their house.

The report also found a 12 per cent rise in the number of people receiving Newstart payments compared to last year. That figure was particularly high in the ACT, at 25 per cent.

It also found 7 per cent of single parents were homeless, while the same amount were living with friends or relatives.

The organization is calling on the Government to step up.

"We know it's hard to make ends meet out there at the best of times," Major Harmer said.

"Government grants are simply not enough and the Salvation Army and other agencies like the Salvation Army are stepping into the gap to make up the difference.

"So we would really call on the Government to have a really good look at the state of their benefits and try to bring them up to speed so the average person can make ends meet.

"It's important the Federal Government steps up to the plate.

"We have a huge issue here and it's been here for a long time - just under the radar there are large numbers of families who are really struggling and this research shows that."

The organization released the survey ahead of its annual Red Shield Appeal, which takes place this weekend.

Click here for full story and news interview.

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Recycling Clothes Expands To Curbside

Ever toss a stained T-shirt in the trash? So many Americans do that 11.1 million tons of textiles end up in landfills each year. Cities are going curbside to collect even the worn, torn and tattered.

• Clothes recycling is expanding with curbside pickups and in-store collection bins, but what happens to donated items?
• Many recyclers will accept torn, worn or stained clothes
• Nearly half of donations are sold for reuse, mostly overseas
• Businesses are placing collection bins in parking lots and gas stations
• Clothes recycling is going curbside in more U.S. towns as global prices rise for the used apparel, shoes and linens that Americans often toss in the trash.

Since September, more than a dozen local governments -- in Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington state -- have begun curbside pickup of textiles, often in special bags next to bins containing paper and cans. New York City has put clothing collection bins in nearly 250 apartment buildings in the last two years.

Businesses, too, are placing collection bins in parking lots and gas stations. In the last year, The North Face, H&M and other retailers have begun using in-store bins to offer customers store vouchers for donating clothes -- whatever the brand, and sometimes, whatever the condition.

The nation's robust recycling industry is increasingly targeting clothes -- even those that are stained, ripped, mismatched or out-of-fashion. Companies and non-profit groups are partnering with cities eager to reduce landfill costs. They pick up the clothes, sell or reprocess them into wiping rags and other goods, and give the cities or local charities a cut of the pie -- often pennies per pound.

""It's a trend more cities are considering." says Tom Watson, a recycling official in Washington state's King County, where the Seattle suburb of Issaquah has teamed up with waste collector CleanScapes for curbside pickups. As a result, he says non-profits such as Goodwill Industries International and Salvation Army face more competition for donations.

Salvation Army began partnering this year with Massachusetts' Brockton and Worcester to pick up clothes curbside. Community Recycling, a for-profit that sells clothes for reuse, started pickups in October in Pennsylvania's Newtown and a dozen neighboring communities and will do the same next month in Westville, N.J.

"Anything that is clean and dry can be reused or recycled," says Jackie King, executive director of Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, an industry group. She says nearly half of donated clothes are sold for reuse, mostly overseas where demand and prices have risen.

King says the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing, linens and other textiles each year. Textiles account for 5% of municipal waste, because only about 15% of them are recycled -- compared with 72% of newspapers and 50% of soda cans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "There's a lot of room for improvement," says Jennifer Berry of Earth911.com, a website that lists, by ZIP code, places where myriad items can be recycled.

"Clothes clog our landfills. They don't decompose", says Kelly Jamieson of Planet Aid, a non-profit with bright yellow collection bins in many metro areas. "We're very privileged people. We throw away things many other people never would."

Next time you want to through away clothes, please don't! Donate to the Salvation Army. All clothes will be taken to be recycle for resale or textile recycling and all recycling efforts benefit the Salvation Army and our earth!

Read Full Article From USA Today

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Donate Your Furniture to The Salvation Army

Are you trying to sell old furniture or houseware – but can’t?

Placing ads on Craiglist, posting on Ebay, and having a yard sale are great ways to make some extra cash when you’re trying to downsize your possessions. However, what if some of your good stuff just doesn’t sell in the time frame you want?.

Before you pay to throw away anything of value or items that could be put to use, offer to donate them to a local church, The Salvation Army, or another charitable organization. Not only will your generosity help someone in need, these organizations will pick up at their own expense plus give you a tax write off based on the value of the items donated!.

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Salvation Army Gets $100,000 Donation!

Philly's Salvation Army gets $100,000 donation
 

The Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia is getting a $100,000 donation from the Walmart Foundation to help fight hunger and poverty.

A spokesman for the human-services agency said the gift will be presented next Thursday.
The agency will use the money to support its new Peer Mentoring Program, which is based on Witnesses to Hunger, part of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities at Drexel University's School of Public Health.

Witnesses to Hunger, created by Drexel professor Mariana Chilton, began as a program in which Chilton gave cameras to 40 low-income North Philadelphia women and asked them to photograph details of their lives.
 

The program evolved from there, and many of the Witnesses were trained to be mentors for other low-income women facing the same difficulties of hunger, violence, and other poverty-related problems.
As the Witnesses to Hunger program grew to include women in other cities, The Salvation Army was inspired to expand into similar work, said Ingrid Broadnax, director of foundation and government relations.

With the help of the Walmart money, The Salvation Army will lead its so-called SELF Groups. SELF stands for safety, emotions, loss, and future, and is part of the Peer Mentoring Program, according to the agency's spokesman.

Much of peer mentoring will focus on parents who are raising small children and struggling with hunger, Broadnax said.

Women will hear from other mothers who have struggled with hunger. They will also receive on-site training for computer usage, as well as for financial literacy.

"We see people in despair and children not excelling," Broadnax said. "What The Salvation Army is about is helping people's needs and helping them lead empowered lives."

Source: Alfred Lubrano, PhillyNews.com 

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Washington's News Station WTOP 103.5FM

The Salvation Army is a an official sponsor of Washington's News Station WTOP 103.5FM and 107.7FM. Tune in during the 6:00AM hour to hear our "How Far Would You Go?" Advertisement.

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Small Business, Big Impact!

http://www.salvationarmyexpectchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Truck-full-of-Spud-donations.jpg

Hundreds of gallons of milk, 50 bags of produce and hundreds of yogurts – that’s just a sampling of donated goods The Salvation Army of Long Beach gathers monthly from all parts of the city to maintain its food pantry for hungry families and homeless people.

Supplying perishable staples like milk and fresh produce has always been a challenge for The Salvation Army‘s food pantry. But thanks to SPUD – a local service which provides online grocery shopping for home delivery of fresh produce and local organic foods – organic milk and produce are now plentiful.

“Cans and baked goods like bread are a little easier to come by, but adding fresh dairy and produce to our food pantry has really stepped up our level of service,” reflected Gail Crandall, The Salvation Army Long Beach Corps’ Social Service Coordinator. “SPUD may be a small business, but they’re making a big difference.”

While the company’s generosity is extraordinary – it comes as no surprise in light of small businesses’ reputation for charity. According to a 2008 American Express survey, small companies contribute 6 percent of profits to charity; that’s considerably higher than their big box counterparts. The Salvation Army is very grateful to all who give, but we want to give credit where credit is due to those quiet, small local businesses like SPUD which give humbly and without fanfare.

The partnership was born a year ago with a simple phone call. SPUD had a real problem: too much food, not enough customers. The Salvation Army had the opposite problem. The rest is history.

“We have a no waste policy here at SPUD and it’s very important to us that any leftover food goes out to our local community,” said Adriana Schlarb, SPUD Customer Care Manager. “The Salvation Army’s great work really resonates with us and our customers so it was an easy choice to work with them.”

In the face of limited resources, The Salvation Army’s lean operation feeds 1,000 people every month. Three days a week, families who can’t afford groceries come for nutritious food to replenish their own kitchen pantries. On Tuesdays, the food bags look a little different for homeless people, filled with easy, pre-prepared items like cereal, raisins, peanut butter and jelly, crackers and tuna.

“The biblical story of feeding loaves and fish to the multitudes comes to mind,” said Captain Moy Hernandez, Corps Officer. “We thank God for the food we can afford, and He blesses and multiplies it through generous partners so everyone can eat.”

There are a lot of reasons to patronize small businesses: support the local economy, help provide jobs and it’s better for the environment. But the next time you make a purchase, consider also the fringe benefits to The Salvation Army!

Written by Dawn Wright

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Salvation Army Welcome Kits Help Military Vets Settle into New Homes

My colleague Gail Crandall is very sensitive to the needs of others. And, she’s creative, well-connected and resourceful too.

While visiting the Village of Cabrillo, a temporary residential community for homeless veterans in Long Beach, Calif., she got inspiration for a new way to help veterans in need.

She learned from the female military vets at Cabrillo that when it comes time to move into a place of their own, they need help with some of the basics like dishes, silverware, linens, etc.

Gail decided to get busy creating a program that would combine the efforts of other service organizations to provide each veteran with a “Welcome Home Kit” to help them get settled. The Lions Club was the first to respond with money enough to pay for the first 30 kits!

Each kit also contains a $300 voucher to shop at our nearby Salvation Army Family Store for appliances and furniture.

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The Gene and Jerry Jones Charity gives $100,000 to the Salvation Army

The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Charities will make a $100,000 donation to The Salvation Army to assist with the charity’s disaster relief efforts in West, Texas – a close-knit Texas community devastated by a fertilizer plant explosion last week which killed 15 citizens, including 10 first responders, and injured more than 160.

“The community of West, Texas, has suffered a tremendous loss through this tragedy,” said Charlotte Anderson, President of Charities for the Dallas Cowboys. “But they have also shown their strength and resilience in beginning the healing process as well. We hope that others will join us in supporting the efforts of The Salvation Army as the focus turns to providing the resources necessary to help the great people of West rebuild.”

Salvation Army personnel are also scheduled to be on hand at the team’s annual NFL Draft Party at Cowboys Stadium on Thursday, April 25 to collect financial donations from those fans wishing to join the outreach effort.

By midnight on the night of the incident, The Salvation Army had mobilized support teams and deployed five Emergency Disaster Canteens (mobile kitchens) to the West area.

The massive blast from the explosion measured 2.1 on the Richter scale and was felt as far as 80 miles away in Dallas. More than 75 homes and businesses were destroyed, including a 50 unit apartment complex and a nursing home facility.

The best way to help our neighbors in West and the many rescue workers who have come from across the country is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of the disaster survivors.

Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/cowboys/2013/04/the-gene-and-jerry-jones-charity-gives-100000-to-the-salvation-army-to-help-with-relief-in-west-tx.html#storylink=cpy

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A Giving Pledge

"Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you."
                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                      —Deuteronomy 16:17

Conventional wisdom says that, to be a philanthropist, one must be rich. When we hear that word, philanthropy, we typically envision people of abundant wealth, such as the late Joan Kroc or, most recently, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

Three years ago, Buffett and Gates launched an initiative called The Giving Pledge, a commitment by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. Since then, Buffett and Gates have persuaded a number of American billionaires to sign on to this cause, asking them, in their lifetime or at their death, to give away 50 percent of their wealth.

In recent days, Gates and Buffett have expanded the initiative to include wealthy people abroad, starting with 12 pledgers from eight different countries. To date, 105 individuals or families have joined the ranks.

Right now, you must be asking, “What does this have to do with me?” Giving at the level of Gates and Buffett seems impossible. But billionaires notwithstanding, you can still rise to a biblical giving challenge. Because the truth is, you can be a philanthropist (patron, humanitarian, donor, sponsor, promoter, contributor, backer, guarantor) right now with what is already in your hand. Your desire to benefit other people as a result of your love for them and for the Lord actually begins in your heart, rather than in your pocket.

God wants you to know that you can do great things for the poor, ”… in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.”

For example, a 21–year–old New Jersey City University graduate student founded and continues to fund a 200–student elementary school in Ghana, West Africa—and she does it with just $500 U.S. per month.

In this issue, you’ll read about what The Salvation Army is doing in our territory to combat the global scourge of sexual trafficking of young women. You’ll also read what Commissioner André Cox, the Chief of the Staff (second in command of the international Salvation Army), has to say about the world’s economic crisis, which he calls “a huge challenge” that has a “very real influence on our Army.”

It’s great to know that you and I are in a position to do something about it—right now. How much will you pledge?

Source: http://www.sagoodnews.org/article.php?articleID=1957

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Tax Time: Valuation Guide for Salvation Army Donations

Thank you fro The Salvation Army for your continued support makes our good work possible.

Your qualifying tax deductible donations are resold through our Salvation Army Thrift Stores and Salvation Army Family Stores through the country and serve to fund our Adult Rehabilitation program.

The Salvation Army Value Guide below assists you in determining the tax-deductible value of any items you are donating to The Salvation Army. If you have questions, your local Salvation Army Thrift Store and donation center will be able to assist you.
A receipt for your items may be obtained in one of two ways:

1. If you drop off a donation at a local Salvation Army Family Thrift Store or Corps (worship and community center), the clerk or receptionist will be happy to provide you with a receipt.

2. If you have your donations picked up, the truck driver will provide you with a receipt.

 

Please visit for more information and details on donation values:  http://www.satruck.org/donation-value-guide

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The Salvation Army Receives $1M From Billionaire Forrest

Mining billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has shown how you do philanthropy at the big end of town: put a million bucks on the table and challenge everyone in the room to match it.

And when the room is full of some of the country's richest and best-connected business people, meeting that challenge is a matter of pride.

So it was that The Salvation Army kicked off their 2013 Red Shield Appeal with a tidy $2 million from one high-powered Sydney lunch on Thursday.

Mr Forrest and his wife Nicola are no strangers to giving away large chunks of their estimated $6 billion wealth.

This year they signed a Giving Pledge - an initiative of US billionaires Warren Buffet and Bill Gates - to give away at least half of their family's fortune.

The Fortescue Metals chairman, who has stepped down from day to day running of the iron ore company that created his fortune to focus on his philanthropy, said the final giveaway will be in the vicinity of the 99 per cent of personal wealth suggested by Mr Buffett.

Mrs Forrest said it was a family decision, taken with their children.

"They are very comfortable that they are not going to inherit great wealth," Mrs Forrest said during a question-and-answer session alongside her husband at the lunch.

"We all said it's like a kind of child abuse to leave too much money to your children and almost like another form of welfare, that they don't think they have to get up and look after themselves."

Mr Forrest said that, despite reports to the contrary, he believes Australians are generous donors to charity.

But he wants donors to be more forthcoming and media more encouraging.

Many in the room heard his message and collectively more than matched his $1 million offer.

Among them was businessman and Sydney Red Shield Appeal chairman Roger Massy-Greene, who announced that he and his wife, QBE chairwoman Belinda Hutchinson, were doubling their donation to $200,000.

The Red Shield Appeal hopes to raise $79 million nationally.

The NSW government has donated $200,000, while the federal government chipped in $350,000.
The Salvos helped more than 17,000 people find jobs last year, found 4600 beds for people sleeping rough each week, and distributed more than 6,000 food packages or vouchers to families in need.

Source:  http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/16681659/salvation-army-red-shield-appeal-launched/

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Meet Kimberly - True Stories of Recovery

As a young woman, fashion model Kimberly Felder appeared in two magazines and a TV commercial.

“I went from a fashion model to a drug addict,” says Kimberly, who today works for the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Philadelphia.

Kimberly came from a loving, religious family (her grandfather was a pastor), but because of drugs and alcohol, she found herself living on the streets.

“I went the other way,” she says. “I was rebellious and I did my own thing.”

During her darkest days, Kimberly lived in abandoned houses and ate out of the trash. She would go to a nearby church, sit in a pew, and cry, asking God to take her life.

“I was hurting, ” she says. “My life had become totally unmanageable.”

On the night of Feb. 13, 1994, snow was falling when Kimberly called her Aunt Mary, who agreed to take her in, as long as she sought help the next day. Kimberly agreed and, after a 30–day stay in detox, she entered the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) program in Philadelphia.

Kimberly was assigned to the ARC’s sorting room.

“I didn’t know if I wanted to stay,” she says. “Prayer was the key that kept me there. My prayer was, ‘Lord, let me die or show me how to live.’ ”

Kimberly says her aunt always told her that when she got anxious, she should pray Psalm 23 and the Lord’s Prayer.

“I prayed. I stayed. It got better for me.”

Kimberly not only earned her GED at the ARC but also was soon offered a job dispatching ARC trucks. She later became a house resident supervisor, a post she held until 1998.

“I stayed because I was afraid to go out in the world again,” she says. “Once I started to get stronger, I wanted to stay that way. There’s nothing like being clean and walking with God and having friends and being able to be in touch with your family.”

Kimberly worked in several retail management positions after leaving the ARC and always returned at Christmas to stand kettles as a form of payback to the Army.

When the Kroc center opened in Philadelphia, Kimberly volunteered. Her effort eventually landed her a job as a staff assistant for the corps officers.

Kimberly also leads Sunbeams and works with pre–teen youth.

“My life is different and has been transformed because I have a passion to help other people,” she says. “It comes natural for me now, whether I’m on the clock or off.

“I talk with other young mothers who might be going through some troubles in their marriage. I have a moral obligation, a covenant I made to God years ago, that I will always give my time to help someone else.”

Kimberly credits several people with helping her along her journey, including Majors Earl and Deloris (Dee) Schaffer, now retired, and Majors Robert and Gayle Miga. “They were the first to believe in me,” she says. “Being ‘Saved to Serve’ is my lifelong journey.”

Kimberly is a senior soldier and attends the Kroc Center corps with her two boys and husband. As an usher, she greets people on Sunday mornings.

“I have visited and even joined other churches, but the teaching and the love has been nothing like the love that I get from The Salvation Army,” she says.

Kimberly sees herself as someone who has been through enough battles that she can help others.

“I just know I never have to live that way again,” she says. “However God needs to use me to be a preventive or supportive measure for someone else’s life, I want to be that voice. I want to be that living example that there’s a way out—and it’s not suicide.”

This article was written by Robert Mitchell for Good News.

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Buy Now And Save A Family!

When you donate goods to The Salvation Army, those items are then sold at our Family Stores. And the proceeds are used to fund our Adult Rehabilitation Centers, where those in the grip of addiction find help, hope, and a second chance at life. All thanks to your generosity. Learn more at http://www.northernvirginia.satruck.org/

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Help Free A Life From Addiction!

Help to free a life from addication by donating to the Salvation Army of Northern Virginia.

Visit http://www.northernvirginia.satruck.org/ today!

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The Salvation Army Direct-Trade Coffee Venture!

The Columbian newspaper in Washington state ran a wonderful story on The Salvation Army’s direct-trade coffee venture with growers from Vietnam.

Major Jack Phillips said the idea all started years ago when the Army’s thrift stores had more mugs than they knew what to do with.

So, Phillips and his wife Anna hatched a plan to provide a $1 endless mug of coffee to the gentleman waiting for their wives to shop: you know, something to make the guys comfortable while their ladies fill the shopping basket!

A few years later, Phillips says a colleague suggested they “close the loop” and source their own coffee beans to serve in our stores and to partipants in our drug and alcohol recovery programs.

Click here to learn more about this wonderful program's progress.

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Alert: Be Aware of Door-To-Door Scams

The Salvation Army is warning homeowners that if someone comes to the door soliciting donations, it may be a scam.

The Salvation Army does not solicit door-to-door, nor do we and any request for donations on the street, at a home, or from a car. The Red Kettle Campaign is an annual partnership with local community retail locations and other permitted business locations.

The Salvation Army also donations through direct mail, their official website or donations are accepted directly through an administration office. The charity also organizes special events and may use the shiny red kettles as part of their annual fundraising efforts.

If someone is approached by anyone soliciting donations for The Salvation Army door-to-door, the Salation Army receommends that you should turn away and should notify local law enforcement.

During the Holy week, Easter holiday and Spring season, be wary of these types of scams.

God Bless You!

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