New Frontier Chronicle March/April 2023 | Vol. 41, No. 02

Camp Director receives national award

Ed Covert is honored for Exceptional Service

BY HILLARY JACKSON

Each summer, The Salvation Army welcomes thousands of children across the U.S. at its camps. For many, it’s their first time away from home, in the great outdoors. It’s also where many first experience the love of Jesus.

Camp Redwood Glen Executive Director Ed Covert knows the power of camp. He’s served in The Salvation Army’s camping ministry for more than 30 years across the Western U.S. His efforts were recognized at the North America Camp Symposium, held Feb. 6-10 in Texas at The Salvation Army Camp Hoblitzelle. There, Covert received the Certificate of Exceptional Service for his leadership.

“It was just incredibly affirming to know that camp has a significant role to play within the Army’s scope of ministry and that camp is seen as not only being a great place to develop leaders and to give kids a wonderful experience on their faith journey, but camp is seen as being highly missional,” Covert said. “It was pretty cool for sure to stand there and receive that on behalf of everyone in the room.”

For Covert, the award is indicative not of personal success, but of the continued importance and impact of The Salvation Army’s rich heritage of camping ministry. But while he is quick to shift the focus from himself to the mission, his impact is felt throughout the West and the larger Salvation Army world.

presenting the award, National Com-

COVERT PAGE 10

Moreno Valley Homeless to Work Program gets $1M

BY VIVIAN LOPEZ

In March 2022, Vietnam Veteran Tommie Murry said he was homeless on the streets of Moreno Valley, California, and addicted to drugs. But he found The Salvation Army Riverside Corps’ Homeless to Work Program and turned his life around in less than a year.

Fast forward to nine months later and Murry is thriving. He’s off of drugs and the streets, and has full-time employment in maintenance at the local U.S. Vets facility along with his own apartment and truck.

“It was either ‘Do something for yourself or give up on life,’” Murry said. “And The Salvation Army, they came through and saved my life. They saved my life and I haven’t been back on drugs [since].”

The Salvation Army gets $5M to help families exit homelessness

Funding will help support families experiencing homelessness in the Denver metro area.

BY LOU BUHL

When Salvation Army Denver Metro Social Services Director Kristen Baluyot received the email invitation to apply for a grant from The Day 1 Families Fund, she said she initially thought it was spam.

Unfamiliar with the fund, Baluyot said she forwarded the email to the IT department to verify its validity. Once confirmed legitimate, she found The Day 1 Families Fund, launched in 2018 by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, issues annual grants to organizations on the frontlines of helping families experiencing homelessness. In the last five years, the fund awarded more than $500 million to expand programs and services helping families achieve housing stability.

This grant will help us meet the increased demand and continue our track record of rehousing families.

—MAJOR MIKE DICKINSON

“It was quite surprising that the foundation discovered the work we’re doing and thought it would be worthwhile to approach us,” she said. “We submitted the request for the full amount, and to our great pleasure, we are receiving the full amount.”

The Salvation Army in the Denver metro area received a $5 million grant, and was among 40 organizations chosen in 2022 for grants totaling $123.45 million.

“We are deeply humbled by the support of the Day 1 Families Fund,” said Salvation Army Intermountain Divisional Commander Major Mike Dickinson. “This grant will help us meet the increased demand and continue our track record of rehousing families.”

A significant portion of this one-time grant, Baluyot added, will help The Salvation Army support families by quadrupling the capacity at its short-term family shelter, the Lambuth Family Center.

While the center currently serves up to 20 families at any given time, it’s projected to break ground on a new facility in spring 2023 that will expand program capacity to 85 families.

By implementing a housing-first model alongside trauma-informed case management, the Lambuth Family Center helps families address and eliminate barriers preventing them from securing stable housing.

Guided by the belief that people need to focus on basic necessities, like food and shelter, before addressing less critical issues, a housing-first approach is “based on the understand-

Homeless to Work Program participant Tommie Murry and his wife stand alongside the new truck he saved up to purchase.

When

Ed Covert received the Exceptional Service award at the North American Camping Symposium at Camp Hoblitzelle in Texas. |

PHOTO BY MATTHEW OSMOND

Caring is a magazine from The Salvation Army for people who care about making an impact for good. As a Salvation Army officer or employee, you’ll also find a curated collection of inspiring news for you in the New Frontier Chronicle print edition and our email newsletter, the Weekly. See more at caringmagazine.org.

The problem is us!

DOUGLAS RILEY, COMMISSIONER

There’s a parable of a master who hired laborers to work in his field. He hired some in the morning and said that he would pay them at the end of the day. At noontime, he hired others to work right alongside the first workers. He said, “I will pay you what is right at the end of the day.” Then, near the end of the day, he hired a few more workers and said the same thing. At the end of the day, the first workers screamed, “This is not fair.” The master said, “Did I not give you what I promised?” They replied, “Yes, but…”

Well, March means spring training for Major League Baseball (MLB). The other day, I watched a 60-minute documentary on the worst umpire calls in MLB. It is estimated that there are 34,294 incorrect balls and strikes called each year by umpires. With the instant review process in place, many calls are immediately viewed by the fans and experts, but it comes with an overwhelming sense of humility, heckling, boos and fierce anger from fans on both sides of the call. They say every time an umpire makes a close call, they earn a friend and a permanent enemy. Fractions of a second separate the distinguishing factor and even though you might be next to perfect, it’s that small percentage that is remembered forever.

As I watch the world around us today and the news, it’s clear we make these same instant judgment calls. There’s no replay, but ruthless choices are made each and every day. It’s all about what we think

is fair and just. We make thousands of judgment calls every day. Many of those could have a similar outcome: earn a friend or make an enemy.

Yet, amid watching the worsts in these umpires, I forget to consider the pressure of the moment of an instant call, split second, at a blink of the eye—and yet the result is final. It is in that emotional state, attitude or disposition our judgment is made not based on our spiritual values, but those around us and our human error. A judgmental call could be correct or incorrect but suddenly we become prejudiced. We prejudge waiting for the instant replay to prove us right.

Often, we are much like those umpires in our view of the world and the unfairness that pervades our culture. We begin to judge people by using the world’s standards of life, not a biblical standard. We set ourselves up as umpires thinking we know the “right” call of what people deserve or don’t deserve, trying to tweak the final outcome. What is right and wrong, what is acceptable and what is not, fair or unfair. And, like an umpire making an instant determination on a call in the game, we too make those calls every day of our lives and we, too, make mistakes.

Romans 2:1-4 says: Now if you feel inclined to set yourself up as a judge of those who sin, let me assure you, whoever you are, that you are in no position to do so. For at whatever point you condemn others you automatically condemn yourself, since

you, the judge, commit the same sins. The problem is not them, it’s us! We are looking at the problems and sins of the world all wrong.

Some say our society is morally drifting downward, and at the same time, we are refusing to see the same thing happening in the Church, and worse, in our lives. It’s not about being fair. It’s about being true to God’s Word. The church is guilty of pointing the finger at the world and proclaiming foul. The church is to be salt and light!

But, as we compare ourselves to anything other than the Word of God, we make the call on our own motives, which need to be reviewed. (Instant replay might be needed in our lives!) Often we, all of the sudden, without realizing, have a new distorted opinion and it leads to being an umpire— making a judgment call and ultimately, not being Christlike. That’s our problem. God doesn’t compare us and nor should we.

It is interesting that we never stop to thank an umpire for the thousands of correct calls that are made, but we are quick to judge those that were missed. So let us realize God’s love and kindness that leads us each to repentance. His tolerance, his patience, his unconditional love. Unlike the TV show that focused on all the worst calls, let us focus on good and what is admirable and of Christ. And let us show it, live it and breathe it in our lives for others. We need to use the Word of God as our standard for living. NFC

FUTURE OFFICERS ‘FIND PURPOSE’

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Themed “Find Purpose,” the Future Officers’ Fellowship (FOF) took place on the Crestmont campus Feb. 10–12, with 80 potential candidates from all nine Western Territory divisions, plus divisional commanders, divisional youth secretaries and CFOT staff. Along with three main sessions, the delegates attended classes, Evangelism and Discipleship, Crestmont Life, Spiritual Formation, and a Crestmont campus tour. The FOF leadership team included Captains Emmanuel and Jennifer Masango, Territorial Candidates’ Secretaries; Major Nigel Cross, CFOT Training Principal; and Major Amy Reardon, CFOT Assistant Principal.

“ We make thousands of judgment calls every day.

Many of those could have a similar outcome: earn a friend or make an enemy.

—COMMISSIONER DOUGLAS RILEY

BY BRIAN PEDDLE, GENERAL

This Easter comes as Salvation Army leaders from around the world have been called together to elect a new General. The privilege of serving in the role of international leaders is now coming to an end for Commissioner Rosalie and me, and we seek to complete what we had set out to do. Soon we will need to say, “It is finished.”

So when I reflect on Easter, I am drawn to the words of Jesus on the cross: “It is finished.” But how much more profound are those words on Jesus’ lips as recorded in John 19:30. His earthly life and ministry—the greatest of all human lives and the most far-reaching of all ministries—was complete.

It is finished.

But the words “It is finished” take on yet deeper meaning when we consider that Jesus spoke them in his own language of Aramaic, so the word he used indicates complete submission—completed before he died. In Christ, God-who-could-not-die voluntarily and completely submitted to becoming human. In so doing he experienced pain, suffering and death itself. Paul echoes this in Philippians 2:5-8 (NRSV) when he writes, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” Jesus clothes himself with our humanity. He understands us. He experienced the extremity of a public execution with all its humiliation. His identification with us in the human experience—including pain, suffering and death—stands completed.

It is finished.

When John later wrote his Gospel in Greek, he recorded “It is finished” as the last words of Jesus, using a word from the world of finance meaning “paid in full.” So the evangelist reminds us that, in Jesus’

His earthly life and ministry—the greatest of all human lives and the most far-reaching of all ministries—was complete.

IT IS FINISHED

complete submission, he paid the debt of sin for all humanity. On the cross, our account has been paid in full. Paul connects “paid in full” with no longer counting our sins and the important emphasis of reconciliation through the cross. He describes this in 2 Corinthians 5:19 (NIV): “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” Sin is no longer the issue—the only thing of importance is how we will respond to a Savior who has paid the account in full.

It is finished.

At the start of the year, I affirmed the “once and for all God.” In Romans 6:10 we read: “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” God’s provision for us began with a new covenant, commencing with the cross. Once and for all. Paid in full. Hebrews 9:28 reminds us that Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many, including us, while John 1:29 proclaims, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (ESV). That is my sin, and your sin.

It is finished.

In the truth that Christ died once and for all, there is also the truth that he lives, and because he lives, we can live also. This is the essence of the Easter message. No matter what comes, the truth of God’s action on our behalf remains rock solid. No matter what comes, we are safe in his hands and fully aware of his provision. No matter what comes, we can live as “more than conquerors” and “overcomers in the midst of all things,” because his grace is sufficient and he is faithful. Romans 5:8 says: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It’s done! For once and for all time…and that changes everything.

It is finished.

Commissioner Rosalie joins me in sending you warm Easter greetings. NFC

LA Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman helps out in Long Beach

Food distribution event kicks off the annual Dodgers Love LA Community Tour.

BY KAREN GLEASON

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman

Freddie Freeman traded the baseball diamond for the parking lot of The Salvation Army Long Beach (California) Red Shield Center during a Jan. 31 drive-through food distribution that was part of the Dodgers Love LA Community Tour, sponsored by Bank of America. The annual tour aims to bring the spirit of the team to all of LA through acts of service.

Tickets for the event went to 150 families, all clients of the Long Beach Red Shield Salvation Army. Captain Christina Arnold, Red Shield Corps Officer with her

husband, Jared Arnold, said all the families who received tickets to the event were known to them—they had children in the home and needed food assistance, a growing concern in light of rising costs.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for at-home food in the LA/Long Beach area rose 9.3 percent during 2022, with a 17.7 increase for cereals and bakery products. The food boxes make a difference. For this event, each box was packed to feed a family of four for four days, three meals per day, for a total of 7,200 meals served to 600 individuals.

“[This event] is a collaboration for the people in need,” Jared Arnold said. “If you’ve looked at grocery bills recently and how things have skyrocketed, this is mas-

THE GENERAL’S EASTER MESSAGE FROM JOHN 19 : 30

(L-r) Captains Christina and Jared Arnold, Freddie Freeman, Charlie Freeman, Chelsea Freeman and Commissioner Douglas Riley. |PHOTO COURTESY LONG BEACH RED SHIELD CENTER FREEMAN PAGE 10

Without Ms. Larson’s gift, we would have had to close our doors, causing many families to go without daily essentials...

—MAJOR OSEI STEWART

Salvation Army donor remembered for lifetime of generosity.

BY HILLARY JACKSON

Even though Colonel Kyle Smith is now the Chief Secretary for The Salvation Army in Singapore, he still remembers meeting Karin Larson when he first visited her office in West LA years ago, back when he was the General Secretary for Los Angeles.

“I’d never met her before, and I felt right at home,” Smith said, recalling an afternoon spent talking about Larson’s love of music and her experience with a Salvation Army string band when she was growing up in Minnesota.

“She was very positive, optimistic,” he said. “She was excited to talk about what she did.”

Throughout her life, Larson was a faithful donor to The Salvation Army in addition to a number of other causes. Upon her death in 2021, her generosity was demonstrated once again through a significant legacy gift to The Salvation Army.

Southern California Director of Donor Relations MaBel Turner will never forget the moment she opened the envelope at a lunch with Larson’s financial advisor. Turner said she had been told the advisor had good news for her, but she said the gift blew her away.

“We both teared up because we knew her. We knew her personality,” Turner said. “It was just a surreal moment.”

Turner first met Larson when she began working for The Salvation Army in 2013 and inherited another director’s caseload of donors. She learned of Larson’s career success at Capital Group, where she worked her way up from a secretary position to become an analyst, portfolio manager and the first female research director there.

Turner said she’d regularly visit Larson, and they’d go on tours of various Salvation Army programs throughout the Los Angeles area.

Over the years, the relationship deepened, and Turner recalls Larson regularly giving to support programs, including The Way In, a program in Hollywood The Salvation Army runs to help youth experiencing homelessness escape street life.

A gift by Larson funded renovations to the Oxford Apartments at The Way In, which allow youth ages 18-21 to experience independent living while still receiving case management.

“She was a very, humble person,” Turner said. “Recognition was not her thing.”

Larson’s final individual gift was in 2020, when she pledged enough to sustain the Southeast Communities Corps, which serves nine communities in Metro LA: Huntington Park, Walnut Park, Vernon, Bell, Bell Gardens, Maywood, Cudahy, South Gate and Downey.

Major Osei Stewart, then the General Secretary for Los Angeles Metro Coordination, remembers the impact of the gift, and how it ensured the services of The Salvation Army Southeast Communities Corps would remain open and available to help people experiencing homelessness, families and seniors who were in need.

“Without Ms. Larson’s gift, we would have

LARSON PAGE 11

Ministry helps ‘Booth babies’ find biological families

The Salvation Army helps adopted children reconnect with their past.

BY LAUREL MILLER

The Salvation Army has brought help, emotional support and hope to untold numbers since it was founded in 1865. That succor includes the ministry’s 19th- and-20th-century “rescue homes,” which provided care and shelter for unwed mothers.

It was Florence Booth, daughter-in-law of Salvation Army founder William Booth, who established the first so-called Booth Home in her native England. While initially created as places of sanctuary for young, impoverished women, Booth Homes eventually came to house single, pregnant women from all walks of life. In 1887, the first Booth Maternity Home opened in Brooklyn, and within seven years, 15 more were in operation across The Salvation Army’s Eastern and Western territories.

The primary role of Booth Hospital and Maternity Homes was to give expectant mothers prenatal care, counseling and shelter until they delivered their babies. After which, infants were often placed for adoption by the girls’ families or agencies. The homes also maintained records, noting when and where children were born, and if a child was relinquished or released to an adoption agency.

By the late 1970s, the last Booth Homes shuttered as a result of societal shifts with regard to the stigma of teen pregnancy and unmarried births, combined with rising maintenance costs and legal considerations. The records were then stored and later digitized at The Salvation Army Western Territorial Headquarters in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

In 2019, a computerized program was implemented that recorded “all inquiries of birth mothers seeking their biological children, birth children looking for their birth mothers or biological relatives looking for adoptees,” said Territorial Assistant Social Services Secretary Captain Diana Gomes.

Today, a final generation of “Booth Babies” have reached middle age, and for some, it’s now the right time to seek their biological parents and relatives. For Tom Davis*, 55, the search for his biological mother was sparked by his becoming a grandfather, as well as a cancer scare. “It brought my mortality to the forefront, and the support of my adoptive mom and wife motivated me,” he said.

Davis, who lives outside of Nashville, knew that he’d been placed for adoption in San Diego as an infant, and that his birth mother had lived in the maternity home there. He reached out to Gomes, who he calls “instrumental” in helping him reunite with his mother.

“The Salvation Army also honored my request to make the search for my biological mother on my terms, at my pace,” he said. “My main concern was to be respectful of her privacy, and to give her the space to decide if and when to contact me.”

After Gomes reached out to Davis’ mother, “it took her some time to get to the point where she was ready to contact me,” he said. “Within the week, however, I was in California, meeting her. The moment we laid eyes on one another, we hugged and held each other for a long time. The amazing part was how natural it felt; the connection was instantaneous.”

The moment also held special significance for Gomes, because she traveled to where the reunion would be, and Davis is the first Booth Baby she’s met in person.

“Confidentiality is imperative in this ministry,

The primary role of Booth Hospital and Maternity Homes was to give expectant mothers prenatal care, counseling and shelter until they delivered their babies. After which, infants were often placed for adoption by the girls’ families or agencies.

and I have to be very sensitive when I reach out to families,” she said. “Many times these women were forced to give up their babies or were so young they can’t remember details, and others knew this would be the best option for their baby to have the best life possible.”

Davis and his mother are now so close, they visit frequently. His wife and adoptive mother have also met her. “We recently fulfilled a dream of mine, for the moms to meet,” he said. “Seeing them embrace for the first time was completion for me, but it also brought healing to everyone.”

Another reunion facilitated by Gomes was that of biological sisters Shawna Blonke and Sheri Moucka. Blonke was raised by her biological mother. When Blonke was 15, her mother told her that in 1968 (four years before Blonke was born), she gave birth at the Denver Booth Home and put the baby girl up for adoption.

“I tried to find Sheri many times over the years, but never followed through because our mom was afraid of the ramifications if she didn’t know she was adopted,” said Blonke. Adds Moucka, “I knew that I was adopted and had thoughts that someday I’d look up my biological parents, but never did. About six years ago, my boyfriend even bought me a DNA kit.”

Years after her mother passed away in 2011, Blonke contacted Gomes in the summer of 2022. “On August 20th, I woke up to a Facebook message from Shawna saying that she believed we were related,” said Moucka. “After some back and forth, there was no doubt we were sisters, and in September 2022, we met in person.”

The two women, who live in different states, “bonded quite a lot before we actually met,” said Blonke. “It was definitely an immediate connection, but we’ve since learned we have a lot of the same mannerisms and dress similarly. We felt right at home with each other from the start.”

The siblings now message daily and talk often, and Moucka has also had the opportunity to meet her maternal uncle. “We’re making plans for our families to meet,” said Blonke.

“From the moment I knew I had a sister, I wanted to find her. I often felt like there was a big part of me missing, and now I feel complete.”

For Gomes, the work is also fulfilling. “It’s been such a blessing for me to be part of this wonderful ministry, in which people can find healing and restoration through reunions.” NFC

*Denotes name change

Florence Booth

Donor remembered for legacy of giving to do the most good

Sheri Moucka with sister Shawna Blonke | PHOTO COURTESY SHAWNA BLONKE

Kroc Dance Academy brings the joy of dance to all

BY HILLARY JACKSON

It’s a Friday night at the Kroc Dance Academy (KDA) in Kapolei, Hawaii. A sea of ballerinas dressed in black and lavender leotards groan as instructor and founder Alecia Hardt announces the next part of their practice, allegro— fast.

“It’s a Friday night brain teaser,” Artistic Director Sadi Richard said as the dancers move across the room in groups at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. For many, they’ve practiced between 12-20 hours this week. They’re tired, but determined. They’ve worked hard to reach the upper levels of KDA, Hardt said.

And the effort speaks for itself. The dancers have won countless awards, and Hardt said some have been admitted into elite ballet intensives in places including Joffrey Ballet in Italy, as well as others in New York and Chicago.

While those kinds of successes are part of what Hardt aims for, she’s quick to point out the character of her students, calling them humble, smart and kind. It’s in that spirit Hardt and the rest of the teachers at KDA aim to develop dancers of all abilities and help them reach their potential.

While the Kroc Center has been a fixture of the Kapolei community for 10 years, KDA is a relative newcomer, having moved to the Kroc Center in January 2019.

Prior to that time, Hardt and KDA instructor Carolyn Nixon were teaching 44 kids out of a storage unit because the studio they had been instructing at shuttered. After several months of dancing in the heat, a parent asked if they had ever considered the Kroc Center.

Hardt met with the then-Corps Officers, Lt. Colonels Debbie and Phil Lum, who are now the Territorial Secretary for Program and Assistant Program Secretary for Corps Ministries, respectively, as well as Kroc and Workforce Develop-

ment Director Steve Bireley, who helped green light the program’s move to the Kroc Center in January 2019. Hardt said from the storage unit, the program grew to more than 150 kids within its first seven months at the Kroc Center, prior to the pandemic.

“Our family, our ohana, are unlike any other that I’ve ever worked with in my 40 years of dance. And they needed a special place,” Hardt said. “Kroc Center offered all of professionalism, and I was able to show them what we could do in terms of technical programs, in terms of being a solid foundation for kids to grow, and also what it meant to be ohana to us and how we treat our students differently…We accommodate things that typically the dance industry does not accommodate.”

That means people of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate. In the Friday night class, the program’s

—ALECIA HARDT

oldest dancer, 47, participates alongside her daughter. Throughout the levels, Hardt and teachers include dancers with disabilities—and help them thrive.

“We have to not just accommodate kids, but be proactive about helping them develop,” Hardt said. “We’re going to tailor classes so that kids succeed. And depending on the diagnosis the kid has, there are a million different ways you’ve got to do that. But my ballet department will always accommodate and help kids succeed.”

For Hardt, the effort is personal. As a mother to a one of KDA’s highest level dancers who has autism, she knows how challenging it can be for parents to find a studio that will accommodate their children with disabilities.

“I’ve spent 14 years with my own child, working with behaviorists and sign language and a lot of neurologists on movement disorders, and so we’re sort

A ministry of presence to veterans

In Alaska, a Salvation Army officer attends unaccompanied funerals for veterans.

BY VIVIAN LOPEZ

Soon after arriving in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2017, Salvation Army Anchorage Social Service Director Captain Denice Delgado started regularly attending the funerals of unaccompanied veterans at the nearby Fort Richardson National Cemetery. These are monthly services for veterans who have died and don’t have family members to attend their funerals.

“I just thought here’s our service members who have fought for our country and…they still should be given that respect to have someone at their service who appreciates what they’ve done,” Delgado said.

Delgado found out about the unaccompanied funerals at a local U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) meeting and didn’t hesitate to sign up for the opportunity to honor these veterans.

“They should be given that due respect,” Delgado said. “Everybody deserves to be remembered.”

Once a month, Delgado receives an email invitation to the service, which takes place on the last Wednesday of the month. Within the invitation is the name and rank of the service member, how long they served, and brief information about their ser-

vice. She is present at each service.

“I’m called…[as a Salvation Army officer, to] be a friend to the friendless, and make sure that I’ve done my all to give honor and respect to those around me and continue to grow the kingdom of God,” Delgado said.

At the funeral services, Delgado says the moment that most resonates with her is the 21-gun salute during each ceremony.

“Just seeing the flag being folded when the gunshots are going off, and them walking the folded flag to the director of the National Cemetery because there’s nobody else [is so impactful],” Delgado said. “I just love being a part of it.”

And Delgado is proud to represent The Salvation Army and showcase its ministry of presence to the military community.

“It’s the power of presence [that] is profoundly louder than anything—any words that could be said or any action that could be done,” Delgado said.

Lt. Colonel Debbie Lum, who serves as The Salvation Army Western Territory Veteran Affairs Volunteer Service Secretary, emphasized the significance of the organization’s presence at these unaccompanied funerals.

“For us to be there is such an honor and a privilege

of this unicorn,” she said. “You give me a kiddo, and I’m going to find a way to make it work for them because that’s what my kid needed.”

Sometimes Hardt said this could look like pushing a wheelchair or educating the class on epilepsy awareness. Hardt said she’s worked with kids who are overstimulated to teach them how to advocate for themselves, like giving a signal to turn down the music. In the end, the whole class benefits.

“It’s not just helping the special needs children, but also opening this reality to other kids so that they know how to be accepting,” said Assistant Director for Program Rickie Tan. “But it doesn’t mean that in the end that you’re not going to be able to dance together on stage.”

Christine Andritsch first found Hardt through Hardt’s former studio when she was searching for a place for her daughter, who was then around age four, and having trouble focusing due to ADHD and autism. Hardt was featured on the studio’s website, along with her story of her daughter, and Andritsch thought, “she is probably going to be understanding.”

When the studio closed, Andritsch said they followed Hardt to KDA, where her daughter danced until their family moved away due to being in the military.

“My daughter, she is a hard worker… dance is so good for her,” she said. “It’s really good for development, and there’s something about music and movement. It makes her focus and have to think about directions and timing and counting, and where she’s at in her body and space and time.”

Andritsch said her daughter was offered a competitive spot when she was about six years old, and she performed a solo in the Spotlight Dance Cup that Hardt choreographed for her based on her interests.

“She learned a lot from that and grew a lot, and she actually won an award,” Andritsch said. “It’s just nice that everybody has an opportunity as long as you’re willing to do the work.”

She said there are still people they miss from KDA because of all the time spent together. The community element

to serve those who stand up for us for our country,” Lum said. “Even though the veterans may not have known us and may not have had a connection with The Salvation Army, what Captain Delgado is doing is such an honor and a respect to the veteran. It’s a wonderful ministry.”

Lum hopes that corps across the West will begin to set up ministries like this.

“Every corps—if there’s a VA that’s asking for it— they should be able to offer [this ministry],” Lum said.

Delgado said that even a small commitment of time to this type of ministry can make a huge difference.

“We, as officers, can get caught up in the busyness… It literally is 30 minutes out of your day once a month,” Delgado said. “It’s about looking around and seeing what impact you can make in somebody’s life.” NFC

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Pathway of Hope helps one family find home in Boise

The Salvation Army in Boise, Idaho, recently launched the Pathway of Hope program.

BY KAREN GLEASON

Katie Johnson* had been unhoused in Boise, Idaho, for two years, with her longtime boyfriend—then he was arrested.

“I became a single mother experiencing homelessness in the blink of an eye,” she said.

Her life began to change when she connected with the local Salvation Army and its Pathway of Hope program. Just before Thanksgiving 2022, Johnson moved with her two children from a homeless shelter into her own apartment.

The Boise program is an expression of The Salvation Army’s national Pathway of Hope initiative, which aims to provide individualized services to families with children, with a goal that the families maintain long-term stability.

The 12–18-month program launched just over a year ago when Boise Corps Officers Majors Kimberly and Thomas Stambaugh decided to merge their former program, Pathways Out of Poverty, into the Pathway of Hope model. The transition involved meeting Pathway of Hope’s assessment and data entry requirements on WellSky, a software program that allows coordination between social service and healthcare providers.

In December 2021, the Stambaughs hired Case Manager Kira Hurt to manage the transition of the programs, and the metamorphosis began. Hurt works with individuals including Johnson, helping them navigate the steps along the path.

“For some clients, the change is like 180 degrees— from living in a car to living in an apartment,” Hurt said.

Previously, Hurt had been employed with The Salvation Army Nampa (Idaho) Community Family Shelter, working with unhoused and mentally ill individuals. Before that, she taught high school for 21 years.

She said she did a lot of community outreach for several months to introduce the program’s new name. She put up posters and distributed brochures to other social service providers.

“It’s intensive case management, once a week,” Hurt said. “And every week, we come up with new goals for the week, talk about whatever issues are going on, if they need resources. I help them with

The Pathway of Hope program has been a great experience.

My case manager never judged the bumps or bruises I had…Today I have a home and hope for a future that keeps me going.

—KATIE JOHNSON*

who to call and sometimes I have to make a referral. For some, I’m working on housing; the ones that take the most time are the unhoused ones.”

Currently, she’s working with 10 families, with three more on a waitlist. At each weekly assessment, clients set four goals for that week that support a long-term goal, perhaps to purchase a house in five years.

Clients receive gift cards, courtesy of Fred Meyer, for attending their weekly meetings and a class Hurt started—“Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World” (based on workbooks by Philip E. DeVol). The 13-week course focuses on breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty and building resources for a better life.

Program participants are required to attend the class in addition to their weekly assessment meetings. When it’s in session, the class meets once a week at the Boise Salvation Army campus.

The most recent session began Jan. 11, and Johnson signed up. She’s able to bring her kids as childcare is provided. A lot has changed for her in just a year.

From a car, to a shelter, to an apartment

“When I met Katie, she was living in her car with her boyfriend, and a week or two later, he had hit her and ended up in jail,” Hurt said. “And then she found out she was pregnant.”

Johnson already had a young son. She found her-

Employee pays it forward after The Salvation Army helped him as a child

Helped by the Salvation Army as a child, Army veteran Jose Ramirez now helps people in crisis at the Phoenix Family Services Shelter.

BY CARAMIE PETROWSKY

Jose Ramirez was 6 years old when his mother took him and his three sisters and fled domestic violence in their home in Juarez, Mexico. He said his father, a Vietnam veteran, returned from war carrying burdens that spilled over into family life.

“As a therapist, I understand the gaps in services that were not available then for veterans.

I can only imagine what he went through coming back,” said Ramirez, 44, who now works as a recreation

therapist and activities coordinator at Phoenix Family Services in Phoenix, Arizona.

His family crossed the border into El Paso, Texas, with the clothes on their back and no place to turn. The Salvation Army stepped in to help.

“We didn’t have anything,” Ramirez recalled. “We didn’t have anywhere to go. And my mom had a huge language barrier. Someone referred her to The Salvation Army and that’s where we started getting assistance.”

A case manager helped the family access government assistance and move into an apartment. Help also came in the form of clothing and cold-weather gear like coats and sweaters. Each month, the family received food boxes from The Salvation

self in what the Getting Ahead class calls the “tyranny of the moment,” when a person is so stressed they are unable to think clearly; they are in survival mode.

Hurt said she first worked with Johnson to get her and her son into a shelter that was “packed.”

It was a start, though. Hurt said that at first, Johnson didn’t want to approach one of the agencies that deal with domestic violence that could offer her more resources.

“That was her decision,” Hurt said. “But she eventually decided to do it… and the agency helped her get into a shelter where they would have their own room.”

Meanwhile, Hurt made sure Johnson was on the list for subsidized housing. “We worked on that and she moved into her apartment; she’d had her baby—a girl—about four months ago.

“After years of being homeless, they moved in two days before Thanksgiving,” she said. And for Christmas, Johnson and her kids received gifts from a generous sponsor through the Adopt-A-Family program, arranged by Hurt.

Although the Boise program is small since Hurt is the only case manager, it’s had notable success. Since January 2022, she’s worked with 16 families and exited five to stable housing.

“I’m excited that Kira has expanded and made this program so impactful for our clients,” Thomas Stambaugh said.

She stays in touch with those who have finished the program, and recently completed three, three-month follow-up appointments.

“For the most part, they are all self-sufficient,” Hurt said. “They’ve changed their behaviors and thoughts. The class really helps, too…It’s just very rewarding to see people making such improvements in their life.”

Hurt hopes the program receives funding so it can add more case managers, and serve more families.

When the Boise program changed its name, it also shifted its emphasis, from poverty to hope.

“We believe by doing this, we have

We didn’t have anything. We didn’t have anywhere to go. And my mom had a huge language barrier. Someone referred her to The Salvation Army and that’s where we started getting assistance.

—JOSE RAMIREZ

Army. And the children always had gifts at Christmas thanks to The Salvation Army.

“The shield has always been something I grew up recognizing,” he said.

Ramirez’s mother taught him to be thankful for those who want to help and never to forget that kindness.

When he joined the Army, there was an opportunity to donate money to a nonprofit organization. Each month, he faithfully donated $50 to The Salvation Army in memory of all they had done to help his family.

In 2017, Ramirez retired from the Army after 22 years of service. He returned to college, earning his undergraduate degree in human services immediately followed by a master’s degree in social work. The coronavi-

rus hit while Ramirez was in graduate school, and he struggled to find a place to complete his internship. Again, The Salvation Army welcomed him with open arms.

“I called the Phoenix Family Services Shelter, where I work currently, and it was like they were waiting for me,” he said. “They told me, ‘Of course, we will take you.’”

While interning at the shelter for a year, Ramirez learned firsthand how The Salvation Army can change a family or an individual.

“Jose started as a social work intern and it was apparent to those around him that he had the passion and drive to make a difference in people’s lives, so I offered him the role of Recreation

|PHOTO BY KIRA HURT

BY KAREN GLEASON

SScott Blair found an unconventional way to do good at Christmastime.

It began in July 2022, when Blair started a job at Geppetto’s Italian Restaurant in Salem, Oregon, one of his favorite hangouts. There, he works as a bartender, server and lottery attendant—Geppetto’s has five Oregon Lottery machines. One of his duties is to collect any funds left behind in the machines, which he could then keep for himself.

Blair, however, had other plans for the money he collected. Geppetto’s owner Julie Hoy heard him announce, as he retrieved his first lottery cash-out slip, “I’m going to donate the money to Toys for Tots.”

Blair said he was always partial to that cause.

“I see so many kids doing without,” he said. “I’ve done without; my kids have done without. So it’s always been something that leans on my heart.”

He said he knew from the beginning he wanted to use the money to help someone else. “I’m pretty much content,” he said. “I have everything I need.”

He did say he was saving up for one personal item—new dentures. His current set doesn’t fit properly. “I don’t smile a lot because of it,” he said.

As the days and months passed, Blair continued collecting the lottery funds for others. Finally, during Geppetto’s staff Christmas party Dec. 19, 2022, he approached Hoy and handed her $160 in cash. He thought it might be too late for Toys for Tots but he trusted Hoy would get the money to someone who needed it.

“I had no idea that we’d end up raising so much, just by the little bit of change we’re getting,” he said. “It’s never a whole lot per day. We might end up making $2 or $3 a day, maybe.”

Two days after Blair gave her the money, Hoy attended a Salem Chamber of Commerce Women in Business event, where she connected with Jennifer Rounsaville, Business Development Specialist for The Salvation Army Salem Kroc Center and instrumental in the organization’s Toy ‘n Joy program, which partners with Toys for Tots. Hoy told her about Blair and his fundraising.

Worker saves leftover Oregon Lottery money to help others

“This was the payoff,” Markham said. “Scott’s effort resulted in some families receiving a great Christmas…I feel blessed to have met Scott. He’s a humble guy with others on his mind, just trying to make a difference.”

Markham said he noticed that this initial experience made Blair all the more eager to put together a donation for next year.

“When I turned in the money, I said I’d like to set a goal for $500 for this year,” Blair said. “But at the rate we’re going right now, it’s going to go way past that.”

He said he’s amazed at how many people have come on board. Lately, on his days off, the other Geppetto’s employees are collecting the lottery slips for the project. “Now that everybody’s on board, we aren’t doing like $6 or $7 a week,” he said. “Last week we did $22.”

And he said he knows of three other local bars that are also collecting for the Christmas project.

“We could help out a lot of kids for next year,” Blair said.

Just before Christmas 2022, Hoy shared Blair’s story on Facebook, bringing a larger audience to the effort.

Rounsaville spoke with Salem Kroc Center Corps Officer Captain Quinton Markham, who headed to Geppetto’s Dec. 22 to receive the donation, unbeknownst to Blair, who thought Hoy had called him in to help with a special project.

“When Scott realized why we were there, he became a little emotional,” Markham said. “He didn’t want the donation to be about him. He wanted it to be about the children and families that were going to be helped with the donation.”

While there, Markham mentioned that he was next heading to The Salvation Army’s Toy ‘n Joy distribution center, where staff were assisting more than 1,100 local families with new toys and a food box.

Scott’s effort resulted in some families receiving a great Christmas…I feel blessed to have met Scott.

—MAJOR QUINTON MARKHAM

“It’s really gone crazy…I’m shocked by how much people have responded to it,” Blair said. “I would never have thought for one second that it would have gone as big as it has.”

The Facebook post seemed to warm people’s hearts with the Christmas spirit. When the Oregon Lottery found out about it, they asked if they could share it on their Facebook page. As of Jan. 27, the shared post has received about 1,300 positive reactions, more than 100 shares and dozens of comments. Blair said he reads every one.

“I’m not really a social media person,” he said. “So when Julie asked me if she could put it on the Facebook page, I said, ‘Well, I guess so.’ I had no idea that it would generate so much response. It’s just been overwhelm-

Reaching unhoused people in San Luis Obispo

The Street Level Outreach team brings resources and hope to those experiencing homelessness.

BY LOU BUHL

“We offer anything that we have to help get them out of that situation,” said Salvation Army San Luis Obispo (California) Corps’ Envoy In-Charge Guillermo Marquez.

Four times a week, the corps’ Street Level Outreach helps unhoused people in the San Luis Obispo area by offering food and messages of hope. In addition to distributing food, the team also offers hygiene kits and winter supplies like warm socks and gloves.

“The plan is to go to different communities to meet with people and connect them with services to develop that relationship,” Marquez added, noting the ultimate goal is to help each person find permanent housing through the corps’ Rapid Rehousing program.

Often, Marquez said clients are brought from Street Level Outreach into the Rapid Rehousing program, which helped house over 25 people in 2022.

Following initial contact, the outreach team works to identify any barriers a person may be facing. For those that enter into the Rapid Rehousing program, individualized case management is offered to work through specific issues and navigate available resources in the area.

The key is connection, Marquez said. In certain areas, like Santa Maria, Paso Robles and Atascadero, he added, by having Spanish-speaking staff mem-

bers, the outreach team has been able to reach more people. People feel “more comfortable” when the language barrier is removed, he said.

Another way the outreach team works to build trust with people living on the streets is by having team members who have also experienced hardships in their lives.

“I seem to build rapport really well, being that I have experience, personally, with homelessness and addiction,” said San Luis Obispo Corps’ County Services Manager Hattie Davis.

Five years ago, Davis said she began working in social services as a drug and alcohol counselor which led to her working with people experiencing homelessness. To help unhoused people struggling with addiction, the outreach team distributes NARCAN, a medicine used to help reverse narcotic overdoses in emergency situations, Davis said.

“There are so many houseless people in this community,” she added, noting how the team is constantly running out of supplies, especially medical supplies and hygiene kits. “Trying to gain those things back with minimal funding is our biggest struggle right now,” she said.

By partnering with other local agencies and organizations, the outreach team is able to amplify its efforts and help more people. For example, twice a month representatives from the California-based nonprofit, Dignity Health, join the outreach team to provide on-site medical care and referrals.

Major Quinton Markham receives a donation check from Scott Blair |PHOTO COURTESY THE SALVATION ARMY SALEM KROC CENTER

SAFE, LOVED & CARED FOR Senior center brings support to

older adults in Modesto

The staff at The Salvation Army in Modesto, California, began noticing a gap in older adults’ services in the community when they saw seniors walking near the Red Shield Community Center to get a bit of exercise. The seniors would stop to rest in the shade under the overhang of the facility before heading back home.

“We said, ‘We see you here a lot resting in the grass, and [are wondering] why?’” said Major Harold Laubach, Jr., Salvation Army Modesto Corps Officer. “And they’re like, ‘There’s no place around here [for us]. We want to get out of the house. We want to exercise.’”

So Salvation Army team members started getting to know the seniors and having conversations with them to better understand what services were needed.

“The area is incredibly low income and… the infrastructure there is very poor,” said Joanne Ramos, Donor Relations Director for the Central Valley of The Salvation Army Golden State Division. “The neighborhood is not necessarily safe for the seniors to walk alone.”

BY VIVIAN LOPEZ • PHOTOS BY JOHN DOCTER

We say here at the Red Shield that the seniors are the party and the joy of our programs because they just have been so open to receiving the care and the love that we want to provide for them— and in return, they bring so much joy to our lives.

—MAJOR HAROLD LAUBACH, JR

Meanwhile, Laubach noted that a report had found the average age of the clients nearby at The Salvation Army Haig and Isabel Berberian Shelter and Transitional Living Center was 52—an increase from previous years.

That’s where the idea for a senior center at the Red Shield stemmed from.

The Salvation Army Golden State Division already had a long-standing relationship with Sutter Health—with the foundation providing a $300,000 grant in 2019 for the renovation and expansion of the Berberian Shelter.

When the need for the senior center became apparent, Ramos worked with Salvation Army Red Shield Operations Manager Maria Arellano to write a grant request to Sutter Health to fund the program.

“It was just a matter of communicating with them, describing what the need was and how we were going to serve that need, and they agreed to the grant,” Ramos said.

Sutter Health awarded The Salvation Army in Modesto with a $353,000 grant to start the senior center at the facility. The funding would cover program supplies, staff and an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-com-

pliant vehicle to transport seniors to and from the Red Shield for the program.

As far as staffing goes, they were able to hire a senior coordinator, a driver for the ADA vehicle and a cook who would prepare breakfast and lunch for the seniors and teach them how to cook healthy meals at home. Modesto Associate Corps Officer Captain Thelma Jimenez said they were mindful of their hiring approach.

“One of our ways of being really intentional with [staffing] was to also be intentional with the type of community that we were going to serve, which was a bilingual community,” Jimenez said. “We wanted to make sure we were able to facilitate bilingual ministry into that program, so we did and we were able to hire employees who were bilingual. That was a huge benefit to our program because I would say about 80 percent of those we serve are bilingual.”

Once everything was in order, the senior center opened its doors in October 2022. The program runs Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

On those days, after they arrive, the seniors start the day with breakfast.

Then afterward, they have an activity or exercise class. The seniors work with an exercise coach at the Red Shield—exercising three times a week with the gym equipment at the facility. During the summer, they’ll also be able to participate in water aerobics. On activity days, seniors participate in crafts, presentations from guest speakers on relevant topics, games days or field trips to places like the local farm, pumpkin patch and jelly bean factory.

After that, participants have time for fellowship with one another before lunch. And when they’re done with lunch, they go home.

“Our goal and dream for this program is that people can continue to have a safe place to go where they can learn of God, eat a really delicious meal, and learn, grow, and be comfortable,” Jimenez said.

Response to the program has been positive. In fact, in the weeks since the program’s launch, program attendance is already between 20 to 30 participants. Many seniors have started joining the corps’ Sunday church services as well.

“We’ve had nothing but amazing results and testimonials,” Laubach said. “It’s a big deal to [the seniors].”

“They love it,” Jimenez added. “We say here at the Red Shield that the seniors are the party and the joy of our programs because they just have been so open to receiving the care and the love that we want to provide for them—and in return, they bring so much joy to our lives.”

The exercise the seniors are getting is already resulting in health improvements.

“Some of the exercise is really helping some of the seniors who really had problems with balance and the ability to walk,” Ramos said. “It’s truly affecting them—mind, body and soul.”

Ramos said that one client was having shoulder problems and has regained mobility in her shoulders since working with the Red Shield’s exercise coach.

Jimenez said another senior previously struggled to get in and out of vehicles. After a few weeks of exercise classes, he no longer needs help with the car.

“He’s very flexible now and gets very excited because he says, ‘Thanks to those exercise classes, I can now get in and out of the car without being in pain or afraid of falling because I feel stronger and better,’” Jimenez said. “Just to be able to be part of those little success stories in their lives brings so much joy to our lives to be able to provide that for them.”

“We see just the difference that it’s making in their lives and how beautiful it is to see some of them go out of their comfort zones and also even try better for their own health,” Jimenez added.

Laubach and Jimenez hope the senior center is a program that continues past its original 15-month funding period. They said they are thankful for the opportunity that Sutter Health granted them to help impact the lives of the seniors in Modesto.

“We’re very grateful to Sutter Health for being willing to partner with us and help us serve the senior community and…provide a safe place for them,” Jimenez said.

Until then, Jimenez said the senior center at the Modesto Red Shield is intended to be a place where seniors “feel at home, safe, loved and cared for.”

“A lot of our seniors that we serve now would not have a space or something in their agendas to do. A lot of them have shared how much we have given them a reason to wake up in the morning and be excited to go to a place where they will do different activities and have fellowship and community,” Jimenez said. “We want to provide that for them and [show] that God loves them, that they’re not alone, and that there are people who care for them, who are praying for them and want to build intentional relationships with them.” NFC

mander Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder spoke directly to Covert in front of some 150 attendees— Camp Directors, Divisional Youth Secretaries and Youth Department staff—from across the country and Canada, saying: “Ed, at every step and in every word you speak you lift up Jesus Christ. You do so in every conversation. You do so in every letter that you write. You do so for everything you’re planning—all the camps you’ve worked, the camping committee and indeed this event.”

Covert chaired the symposium as part of his role as The Salvation Army’s National Camp Liaison, through which he represents The Salvation Army at the American Camp Association and the Christian Camp and Conference Association.

The North America Camp Symposium marked the first time representatives from The Salvation Army’s U.S. camping ministries have gathered since 2012, and it was also the first time delegates from Canada joined. Throughout the event, attendees spent time learning, worshiping, sharing and refining their craft.

“The opportunity for all of us to be together in one place and enjoy the richness of our camp community and fellowship was just incredible,” Covert said. “It was more than I even dared that I might ever dream God might do for us.”

Southern California Divisional Camp Director Marty Brown was a part of the National Ad-Hoc Camping Committee that put the symposium together, and considers Covert to be the GOAT—greatest of all time—in terms of camp directing. “To hold that title, you must do the position extremely well, direct for a long time

and have the results that reflect success,” he said.

“Ed’s impact is beyond just his own camp in Santa Cruz,” Brown said. “Most camp directors, including myself, reach out to Ed to discuss strategy, ministry, business, finance, customer service, operations, program and sometimes just to vent. I truly value my conversations with Ed and the way I lead comes from the Ed coaching tree.”

Covert’s commitment to developing leaders through what he calls the “leadership pipeline” is something he considers to be a key component of camp ministry. The leadership pipeline is based on research Covert’s read, and contains the steps to go from camper to camp director, taking a child who loves to go to camp and helping them get excited about the next opportunity, Golden State Divisional Commander Major Darren Norton said.

“Underneath that is this desire to draw people in,” Norton said. “It’s about drawing people into camping ministry. It’s about connecting kids deeper to The Salvation Army’s mission.”

As a Divisional Commander, Norton said that while the leadership pipeline is primarily about camp, it also is connected to The Salvation Army’s corps (church) ministry.

“It also corresponds to people being committed to their local corps and growing and serving,” he said. “I love that it’s helping our youth say that in a world where people are being drawn away from church… we’ll help develop you and give you opportunities for ministry.”

In addition to the leadership pipeline, Norton noted two other areas he’s witnessed Covert’s passion for: creation care and the desire for kids to know Jesus and thrive at camp.

Norton said throughout camp, Covert has taken

sive. This is providing families an opportunity to make it one more week. And our services are available to them well beyond. This is a good kickstart to allow us to continue serving this community.”

Christina Arnold said the families received a variety of food items: chicken, eggs, produce and dry goods. She noted how challenging it was to find enough eggs, considering the current egg shortage.

“There was one really sweet moment,”

Christina Arnold said. “As the food was placed in the car, a little girl exclaimed, ‘Mom, look! We got milk.’”

During the event, Freeman presented The Salvation Army with an additional donation—a check for $5,000.

As the food was placed in the car, a little girl exclaimed, ‘Mom, look! We got milk.’

“It’s a huge help,” Jared Arnold said as he accepted the check. “Just the opportunity to see partnerships between community members like the Salvation Army and the Dodgers … that’s what we would like to promote, that we’re doing this together. It’s a collaboration for the people in need.”

For Freeman, the connection with The Salvation Army is personal. As soon as he found out about The Salvation Army event, he enlisted his family members to help him hand out food boxes, gallons of milk and Dodger Dogs.

“I’m in a long line of Salvationists,” said Freeman. “We actually have four generations of Salvationists here—my grandfather [retired Bandmaster Ed Freeman], my dad, me and my son, Charlie. So this is a pretty special day for us to be able to give back with The Salvation Army.”

A California native, Freeman returned to his home turf in 2022, joining the Dodgers after 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves.

“It’s just special being back, and especially [near] the place where I grew up in Orange County, to come out and do stuff like this,” said Freeman, whose wife Chelsea also attended. “We’ve got two more [children] at home that hopefully will be a part of this going forward. That’s why we’re here and that’s why I wanted to bring Charlie, to start early with him. It’s truly an honor to be a part of this.”

Christina Arnold recognized that events like this one can impact not only those in need, but also those who can help by showing them they can make a difference.

“We have the people—we need the resources,” she said. “[For this event] we had the space, we had the clients, and they had the resources. So we were able to get together and meet the need.”

She said they look forward to forming similar partnerships. Ultimately, the goal is to do the most good, for the most people possible.

“Long Beach is full of generous people who want to do good, but they don’t know how,” she said. “We’re happy to be that outlet. We’re already in contact with so many people in need, but with partnerships, we can do so much more.

“For our clients to see someone else care for them, side-by-side with us, it blesses them,” Arnold said. NFC

measures to remind staff, campers and visitors alike that they are to be stewards of the earth. Norton said this can look like taking the water remaining in the pitchers used at mealtimes to water plants around camp.

And when it comes to speaking on the importance of evangelism, Norton said, “He can’t do it without breaking down into tears because of his passion for kids and youth and for camp to be a place where kids could meet Jesus and it could be the start of a lifelong relationship with him.”

Territorial Director for Youth Ministries Jim Sparks has also experienced this quality in Covert, noting “Ed wants every person that steps on camp grounds to experience Jesus in a new way.” But despite the years Covert has accumulated in the field, Sparks said he shows no signs of slowing down.

“It’s common for many to lose steam as their years stack up in their arena. After one conversation with Ed you get the sense that he hasn’t even peaked yet,” he said. “Ed is the steady driver in the camp community. In many ways he is the glue that connects the nation’s camping community together and it’s not because he is the National Camping Liaison, it’s because his level of care for camp goes well beyond his own camp’s borders. Ed’s passion for camp is simply contagious.”

For Covert, he said it’s the drive to want to pour into others as others have for him along with his belief in the mission of camp that keep him going.

“Oftentimes we have defined camp as being a week of fun and respite for kids and their families— and it is all of those things—but it’s only those things at their very best when we get their mission right,” he said. “If we get the mission right, kids are going to have the time of their life at camp.” NFC

FROM PAGE 7

“Sometimes [people experiencing homelessness] don’t want to engage with us, but other times they’re like, ‘Oh, this is great…these are the issues I’m struggling with,’” Davis said. “Then, we’re able to assess how we can further case manage those people.”

During outreach assessments, Davis added how there are certain checklists to ensure each individual will be able to move forward in the housing process, like obtaining birth certificates, social security cards and other means of identification and work authorization.

Once those items are accounted for, the team can work toward enrolling someone in the Rapid Rehousing program which supports each client through steps needed to secure permanent housing.

In addition to her role as the County Services Manager, Davis also serves as the Rapid Rehousing Case Management Coordinator, where she said she is cur-

rently managing over 100 client cases.

Throughout the Rapid Rehousing program, clients are offered assistance in applying for stable employment including resume building and practice interviewing. Then, once financial needs are met and a client is moved into permanent housing, Davis said the team continues to provide support by keeping in contact in order to ensure that housing can be sustained.

Currently, the Rapid Rehousing program works with 22 landlords in the area, Davis said.

“I’m always connecting with landlords,” Davis added, noting how she’s always looking for more people to get involved.

“When I find landlords that are willing to participate, then I lead them to the cases that would fit the units that they have available,” she said.

As the Street Level Outreach services continue to grow in the San Luis Obispo area, Marquez said he hopes the team can increase outings to seven days a week. Until then, Davis said, “We just keep coming back and we keep trying.” NFC

—CAPTAIN CHRISTINA ARNOLD

San Luis Obispo (California) Corps’ Street Outreach team helps serve unhoused pets in the area through donations from Woods Humane Society animal shelter. |PHOTO COURTESY OF HATTIE DAVIS

Murry, who is 72 years old, told Homeless to Work Program Coordinator Vincent Fredborg that “the best decade of his life is going to be in his 70s.”

“[The program] gave me my initiative back and the inspiration to want to get back into work to do something to change my life,” Murry said. “You’re never too old. The opportunity is there. All you have to do is take advantage of it. They give you the opportunity, but it’s up to you to take advantage.”

Murry is one of 109 participants who have completed the Homeless to Work Program and among the 57 who have secured housing and employment.

“After the program, I’m in my own place [with] my own income coming in, paying my bills…and I’m in a great place now,” Murry said. “Everything fell into place through that program that I got into. Without it, I don’t know where I’d be today.”

The Homeless to Work Program—which serves Moreno Valley—offers 90-day employment to individuals facing homelessness. Participants are guided through a hiring process and employed to serve on a Salvation Army crew that works on city beautification efforts in the city.

“When we’re working those two days a week for fivehour shifts, I get to know these people,” Fredborg said. “It’s all about just having a relationship with somebody and getting to know them and meeting them where they’re at.”

At the end of the program, participants work with their case manager to find full-time employment that is best for them and their needs.

“Vince is very good about learning about comfort zones and triggers and skills and abilities to place someone in a job,” said Captain David Cain, Salvation Army Riverside Corps Officer. “It really allows us to find an employment option that will allow them to be successful.”

DANCE FROM PAGE 5

is something Kroc Center Corps Officer Major Osei Stewart has noticed, too.

“Kroc Dance Academy (KDA) is one of the many flagship programs that bring families together. Each week, when the kids come together to practice and learn, our courtyard is filled with waiting parents who have now become lifelong friends—a community is being developed right in our courtyard,” said Stewart.

“It is a wonderful sight to see the young ladies rehearsing each week

EMPLOYEE

Since the program’s start in 2018, city beautification work has expanded. The program is now funded through the City of Moreno Valley’s general budget. Now, Homeless to Work crews are free to clean up sites throughout the city without restrictions that were previously in place, impacting sites like parks, city entryways and local business storefronts.

“We were kind of restricted on the areas of the city that we could clean because it was Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding that had a map that’s associated with it and it was only cityowned parcels of land…We could clean one lot, but right across the street, it’d be really messy and that wasn’t funded,” said Cain. “But the city said, ‘We love the program so much and it’s been so successful that we are going to stop funding it through the CDBG funding,’ and they just fund us now out of the general budget.”

Fredborg said it’s easier to find places to take the crew to work now.

“I live in Moreno Valley, so even when I’m out shopping with my wife, if I see a street that needs some attention, we can pick and choose,” Fredborg said. “Now that the whole city’s opened up, we get a lot more work done. Most of the people on the crew haven’t worked in a while, and they really enjoy working and at the end of the day seeing the areas that they cleaned up.”

The city was so impressed by the Homeless to Work Program that in September 2022, it arranged a meeting with U.S. Congressman Mark Takano to provide a presentation on the program and its success in the community.

After the meeting, Takano awarded The Salvation Army $2 million in funding secured through the Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Bill— signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2022. Of the funds, $1 million was for the Homeless to Work Program and the other $1 million was for the Moreno Valley Emergency Shelter/Rapid Rehousing Program, which supports Homeless to Work Pro-

knowing their hard work makes them the champions they are. KDA is building teamwork, confidence, perseverance and endurance in these young people which will help build their character and take them well into life.”

It’s that endurance that helps the dancers through their Friday evening class, moving through different routines as Hardt pushes them to be their best, calling out modifications that need to be made in a lighthearted way.

“We are ooey-gooey pizza not Burger King,” Hardt said, comparing the need to lengthen their leg and arm movements to stretchy cheese.

gram participants as needed. Both programs are operated by The Salvation Army Riverside Corps.

“[The funding] is a clear example that The Salvation Army has proven itself to be a legitimate solution to addressing homelessness,” Cain said. “We are grateful for the funds.”

And the funding comes at a time when it’s needed most in the community.

“Homelessness in our region continues to rise,” Cain said. “There’s frustration at a lack of real solutions… The program is a healthy approach that addresses the deeper needs of the person before shoveling resources at them.”

While the corps is still waiting on the contractual specifics of how they can spend the money, they have dreams for what the funding could mean for the Homeless to Work Program.

“We’d love to see multiple crews—more than just the one crew. We’d love to offer people more hours than we’re offering,” Cain said. We’d love to double down on case management because that’s a huge component… We have a very clear vision of where we want to be.”

But today, Cain and Fredborg are just happy to see that the Homeless to Work Program continues to leave a lasting impact on the lives of its participants.

“I have people who just call me up or stop by my food pantry in their cars that they have bought a year later after leaving the program,” Fredborg said. “It absolutely changes lives and the percentage of people years down the road, they’re living in their apartments, paying their bills…It’s absolutely amazing.”

Cain said that there are even some participants who are soldiers at the Riverside Corps now, including Murry.

“They’re part of our church family now,” Cain said. And for Fredborg, all of this makes the work even more rewarding.

“It’s absolutely amazing that The Salvation Army and the City of Moreno Valley allow me to do this work,” Fredborg said. “The lives we get to save through this program are invaluable.” NFC

When it’s time to rehearse a lyrical dance Richard choreographed to Sia’s “Snowman,” it is a welcome reprieve. Cheers erupt from around the room.

Like many in the class, Richard is connected to the military; her husband is in the Navy. The often transient lifestyle is a reality they share.

“These kids are my kids,” she said. “I love them so much. It’s going to kill me to potentially leave them.”

But for now, she said, KDA is home for both her and the students. Most of the upper level students will be back tomorrow to dance during the weekend. It is a lifestyle, after all. NFC

LARSON FROM PAGE 4

had to close our doors, causing many families to go without daily essentials, causing the homeless population to be without the regular hot meals, personal hygiene supplies, clothing and blankets for their basic needs,” Stewart said.

“Without Ms. Larson’s gift, the families of those communities would not have had access to our food pantry, which fed countless many, and our rent and utility assistance, that helped during the toughest of times of the pandemic.”

FROM PAGE 6

Therapist, upon the completion of his internship,” said Mandy Porter-Griffith, Phoenix Family Services Director.

Ramirez didn’t hesitate to accept the offer.

At the shelter, up to 24 families are housed for up to 120 days. Residents have access to free meals, medical care and counseling services. As part of the program, Ramirez and his peers strive to help adults build life skills by teaching parenting and budgeting classes. They also help residents to find employment by providing job training as well as classes on resume writing, interview skills and more.

“Their goal is to work toward getting a job while they are there,” Ramirez said. “We reinforce [housing] is only going to last four months. We want them to establish an income that can support them once they leave the shelter.”

As the recreational therapist at the Mike Michaels Activity Center, he works hard to give families outlets that help take their minds off the crisis they are experiencing. Using sports like dodgeball, kickball and volleyball as well as expressive art therapy, Ramirez strives to provide adults and children alike a break from their burdens.

“I call it the safe zone, the decompression zone. Kids can be kids and play and have fun. I allow them to disconnect from their reality for a bit and just be a family,” he said.

“Jose is a blessing to our program and to the people we

serve. Because of his hard work, families experiencing homelessness have a safe and fun environment to play, connect and move toward stability,” Porter-Griffith said.

It’s clear to Porter-Griffith and Ramirez’s colleagues that Ramirez cares deeply for those around him.

“Jose goes above and beyond to help those in need,” she said. “His trauma-informed approach to working with families experiencing homelessness breaks down barriers and opens people up to change. Jose is the definition of a servant-leader. He leads by example and shows clients compassion while holding them to expectations and motivating them to better themselves.”

Along with coordinating classes, Ramirez helps people find jobs, performs behavioral health evaluations (and connects individuals to counselors) and completes crisis interventions for people who might show up in the lobby. While his title doesn’t encompass all that he does, it’s clear he isn’t interested in getting credit—he just aims to help others just as he was helped nearly four decades ago.

“I think that’s how God had it planned out and I’m glad,” he said. “Coming from the military, I never imagined myself ending up here. I thought I’d be at the VA or working with law enforcement but really, I’m right where I need to be.” NFC

All of Larson’s philanthropy throughout her lifetime stemmed from who she was, Smith said.

“If, in your heart, you love something and want to do something good, you’re going to do it. And that’s what she did. This is from her heart…wanting to leave a legacy, caring for others,” he said.

“We were one of the organizations in which she chose to invest her legacy…saying, ‘I want to leave something good. I want the world to be a better place because I was here.’ And that’s why she did it. Not because we asked her to.” NFC

NEW APPOINTMENTS

TRANSFERRING OUT OF TERRITORY

Majors Joel and Rhonda Harmon

Transferring to the Central Territory—Effective: Feb. 6

RETIREMENTS

Major Scott Ramsey—February 2023 Mesa (Arizona) Citadel Corps

Jose goes above and beyond to help those in need —MANDY PORTER-GRIFFITH

ing that client choice is valuable and that exercising that choice is likely to make a client more successful in remaining housed and improving their life,” according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Baluyot said it’s because of these strategies that the center has the highest permanent or stable housing outcomes in the Denver metro area for family shelters. By providing “the highest quality of services” and “the greatest amount of dignity” for families experiencing homelessness, Baluyot said people in their care feel empowered to change their lives.

Prior to the pandemic, 96 percent of families who entered the program exited to permanent housing within 90 days, Baluyot said, noting how additional employment and life skills resources help clients find fixed incomes often needed to apply for housing.

“Our ultimate goal is to end people’s homelessness with whatever means it takes,” she added.

Funding will also help support The Connection Center, a case manager-staffed call and referral center, by expanding it to 24-hour accessibility and increasing financial assistance offered through the short-term rent-

PATHWAY OF HOPE

FROM PAGE 6

changed the face of this program,” Kimberly Stambaugh said. “[It] has a much more impactful name of providing ‘hope’ to those families who have found themselves in situations that made them feel hopeless.”

Along with starting the Getting Ahead class, Johnson is set to begin training for medical billing and coding, which will allow her to work from home.

“The Pathway of Hope program has been a great experience,” she said. “My case manager never judged the bumps or bruises I had…Today I have a home and hope for a future that keeps me going.” NFC

*denotes name change

al assistance program, Housing Now.

“We really pride ourselves on our success and the ability to be able to change lives,” said Lambuth Family Center Program Director V Skiffer. “We try to model what’s called a family environment to create that dynamic where people feel like they’re at home, even though they’re not.”

As a low-barrier shelter, families staying at Lambuth aren’t required to attend case management but are rather encouraged to do so. “We have monopoly[-like] money, that’s called ‘Lamb-bucks’ and if they attend case management, then we incentivize them,” said Skiffer. With “Lamb-bucks,” clients can shop at the center’s store, get gift certificates and more.

In 2023, the center also hopes to incorporate a program addressing youth violence as well as an on-site therapist for clients. “We’re trying to pilot these programs to see what’s going to work and what’s not going to work in order to help us to provide the best care that we can to these families,” said Skiffer.

“We want to be able to serve people and give them that dignity and that respect,” she added. “It feels really good to know we’re not only doing God’s work, but we’re getting people to a point where they can feel self-sufficiency and they can feel hope.” NFC

BLAIR

FROM PAGE 7

ing how many people have come into Geppetto’s when I’m working and mentioned it—how they appreciate somebody doing something like that…I was never into it for the recognition. I just wanted to be able to give something back, to pay it forward a little bit.”

Hoy has noticed some changes lately.

“This effort…has been an inspiration to Scott, too, she said. “He has a skip in his step since we shared his story and we are all thoroughly enjoying the contagious ripples of generosity that have come about in the aftermath.”

Meanwhile, Blair just keeps on collecting those lottery slips, saving the money for Christmas 2023. NFC

MAJOR BILLIE FITTON

Dec. 13, 1930 – Jan. 9, 2023

Major Billie Fitton was promoted to Glory Jan. 9 from Goose Creek, South Carolina.

Billie Whitaker was born Dec. 13, 1930, the eldest daughter of Majors George and Lillie Whitaker, Salvation Army officers serving in the Southern Territory. After graduating from Sarasota (Florida) High School at age 16, Billie entered the School for Officer Training as part of the Peacemakers Session. She was commissioned in 1949.

During training, she fell in love with Cadet Dick Fitton, who was the Training Principal’s (Lt. Colonel Richard B. Fitton’s) son. They were married Feb. 20, 1952. After several corps assignments in the Southern Territory, they moved West in 1963 to serve in Greeley, Colorado. Many more Western Territory corps appointments followed, including in Billings, Montana; Portland, Oregon; Modesto and Riverside, California; Phoenix; Las Vegas; and Seattle and Bellingham, Washington. They held headquarters appointments in the Northwest and Southwest divisions, and served at the Phoenix Silvercrest residence and as chaplains at the Sacramento (California) Adult Rehabilitation Center..

They retired Dec. 9, 1988, and moved to Clearwater, Florida. Following her husband’s promotion to Glory Nov. 9, 2000, Billie moved to Goose Creek, where she remained until her death.

She is survived by her younger brother, Thomas Whitaker, three children: Phillip, Bill and Lynell (Dan); five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Her extended family includes Commissioners Ken and Marjorie Hodder, Commissioners Willard and Marie Evans, Commissioners Kenneth G. and Jolene Hodder and Majors John and Katherine Reed.

Major Billie Fitton was laid to rest Jan. 28 at the Westview Cemetery in Atlanta. To celebrate her life, Major John Reed brought a message and Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder conducted the committal service. NFC

MAJOR CHUCK GILLIES

Dec. 13, 1944–Jan. 5, 2023

Major Chuck Gillies, Jr., was promoted to Glory Jan. 5 from Puyallup, Washington.

Chuck Gillies was born Dec. 13, 1944, in Spokane, Washington. In 1971, he received a B.A. in Psychology from Seattle Pacific College. He then entered Salvation Army officer training from the Seattle Temple Corps

and was commissioned with the Blood and Fire Session in 1973.

Earlier, in 1969, he had married Linda Brown, who was already a Salvation Army Lieutenant. As a Cadet Lieutenant, while still officially in training, Gillies served as Assistant Corps Officer at the Spokane Citadel Corps. After he was commissioned, the couple went to Hilo, Hawaii, as Corps Officers, staying there until 1979. They went on to serve in appointments at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont, at Western Territorial Headquarters and in corps in the Alaska, Northwest and Southern California divisions. From 1991 to 1994, the couple served in the Caribbean Territory. They retired in 2011 from Whittier, California, where they were Corps Officers. During retirement Chuck Gillies served in the Southern California Division, including appointments as Bell Lighthouse Corps Officer (with Linda) and as Divisional Director of Emergency Disaster Services.

Gillies was known for his great love of people, which came from his love of Christ. His son, Matt Gillies, recalled that “he gently teased those he loved, and he teased everyone.”

Gillies is survived by his wife, Linda; children: Chuck (Kin), Christy Ware (Will) and Matt (Raven); six grandchildren; siblings: Karen, Kathy, Jim, Penny and Beth; and nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life service was held Jan. 19 at the Puyallup Valley Corps with Captain Ryan Miller officiating. NFC

MAJOR MICHAEL F. OLSEN

July 1, 1938 – Dec. 8, 2022

Major Michael Olsen was promoted to Glory Dec. 8, 2022, from Surprise, Arizona.

Michael Francis Olsen was born July 1, 1938, in Centralia, Washington. In 1987, after serving in the U.S. Navy, he became an Auxiliary Captain in The Salvation Army with his wife, Ruth. They were commissioned as Captains in 1992.

From 1987–1993, Olsen served at Southern California Divisional Headquarters, first as Special Projects Coordinator and then as Social Services Consultant. The Olsens then transferred to the Russia Command, serving there from January 1993 through December 1995. Olsen next served in the Southwest Division as El Paso (Texas) County Coordinator, from 1996–1999. After several weeks on special assignment at Western Territorial Headquarters, the Olsens moved to International Headquarters (IHQ), where Olsen served as International Emergency Services Coordinator from 1993 until their retirement in 2003. They first settled in Las Vegas, later moving to the Phoenix area. In retirement, they continued their ministry to their community.

During his lifetime, Olsen was a Cold War submariner, police officer, firefighter, paramedic and fire investigator, as well as a Salvation Army officer. A lifelong musician, his greatest joy in later years was playing his tuba with The Salvation Army band as well as with Desert Brass, a community band.

Olsen is survived by his children: Sven Michael Olsen (Susan), Dennise Olsen Fadler (Randolph), Michelle Olsen Hinson (H. Douglas), and James Dennis Olsen; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Ruth Ann Kaizer Olsen; daughter-in-law, Kathleen Kingsmill Olsen; and granddaughter, Maire Caitlin Olsen.

PRESENTED BY

A celebration of life service took place Jan. 16 at The Salvation Army West Valley Corps in Surprise with Captain Mark Merritt officiating. NFC

had Alzheimer’s and was missing. Corps Officer Lt. Nayeli Mercado then contacted the police, who completed a report, along with the woman’s family. “While we waited for her family, she was staying out front where I was in the office. Some of the volunteers helped out and brought her food. We were able to keep her calm,” Villamar said. “In the end, her daughter was grateful.”

HAWAIIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDS

Bill Stroecker Foundation donates silver bars

The Fairbanks Corps received a donation of 100 silver bars each weighing 100 ounces from the Bill Stroecker Foundation, valued at over $250,000. Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Doug Tollerud traveled to Fairbanks to accept the donation on behalf of The Salvation Army and to thank the business leaders. The Salvation Army offered the bars for purchase to those in the Anchorage area.

Saipan Corps receives donation

On Feb. 1, The Salvation Army in Saipan received a $3,000 donation from the Jose and Ruri Ayuyu Foundation to close out the corps’ Corporate Red Kettle Challenge. The donation is not the first from the Ayuyu family, as they and McDonald’s of Saipan have been faithful and supportive donors of the Army for many years.

Envoys Wayne and Anne Gillespie are in-charge at the Saipan Corps.

INTERMOUNTAIN

CASCADE

New partnership for Boise Corps

The Boise (Idaho) Corps hosted the inaugural City of Trees Invitational Wheelchair Basketball Tournament Feb. 18–19, partnering with the Gem State Falcons, the local, coed team that has made the Boise Corps’ gym their home. The team is Idaho’s first National Wheelchair Basketball Association Team. The tournament included teams from Tucson, Arizona; Spokane, Washington; and Sacramento, California.

“We are pleased to partner with them—to promote their team and mission in our gym,” said Boise Corps Officer Major Tom Stambaugh.

DEL ORO

Students beautify Colorado Springs Corps

More than 30 individuals from Ascend College Prep, a STEM-focused high school for 11-12th grade students in Colorado Springs, Colorado, volunteered at the Colorado Springs Corps Feb. 4. The group helped cook, clean, organize, serve in the food pantry and café and early spring-clean the playgrounds. Additionally, the students detailed The Salvation Army’s vehicles and even celebrated a nanogenarian’s birthday with her.

Captains Betzy and Doug Hanson are the Colorado Springs Corps Officers.

NORTHWEST

Napa Valley Culinary Academy

The Napa Valley (California) Culinary Academy prepares Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) graduates to succeed in the food industry. The academy has a 100 percent job placement rate. Culinary instructor Eric Magnani said students prepare meals for the community and for shelters. “We hand them out to the homeless outside of the corps every day,” he said. Academy graduate Ricardo Alarcon now works as a lead line cook. He still volunteers at the ARC, helping others find hope. “Jesus Christ saved my soul,” he said. “The Salvation Army saved my life.”

Captain Timothy Danielson is the Napa Corps Officer.

GOLDEN STATE Corps responds to bomb cyclone, helps woman

In January, The Salvation Army in Watsonville increased its shelter count by 29 people, providing housing for residents who were displaced by local flooding from extreme weather including a bomb cyclone. The corps also cooked 80 meals for dinner at the shelter at Cesar Chavez Middle School.

Amid the response, Office Assistant Daniel Villamar recognized a woman whose image he’d seen in a Facebook group—her family had shared she

Longview HOPE Village sees housing success

After about one month of operation, The Salvation Army HOPE Village in Longview, Washington, has begun to see residents successfully transitioning into permanent housing. “There’s a degree of them that are only a step away from housing, they have more resources than you think sometimes,”

Longview Temple Corps Officer Major Philip Smith told KGW8. The 50-unit tiny home community opened in December 2022 amid cold temperatures. At the village, residents receive hot meals, and units are equipped with heat.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Children brighten Valentine’s Day for seniors

Children and staff from The Salvation Army’s

daycares and child care centers created more than 250 valentines cards for the holiday. The cards were then hand-delivered to the seniors of The Salvation Army Silvercrest Residences in Chula Vista, Santa Monica and the Mindeman Senior Residence in Redondo Beach.

Lt. Colonels John and Lani Chamness are the divisional leaders.

SOUTHWEST

Phoenix Kroc Center staff save life

On Jan. 19, three Phoenix Kroc Center employees were recognized by the Fire Department as local heroes after their efforts saved a guest who had gone into cardiac arrest. Front desk employee Stephanie Calvo came to the guest’s assistance and called Aquatics Manager Cody Whitesinger and Aquatics Lead Anthony Gonzales, who began life-saving CPR. When the firemen showed up, they had the staff continue their efforts, and the guest survived the incident.

Captains Caroline and Dustin Rowe are the Phoenix Kroc Center Officers.

ARCC

ARCC launches

new campaign

On Jan. 25, the Western Territory’s Adult Rehabilitation Center Command (ARCC) held a media event to launch its new “Second Chances” awareness campaign, which highlights stories of recovery with a mission to break the cycle of addiction while highlighting the Army’s no-fee rehabilitation programs across the West. The event featured a red wall with the prompt “What would you do if you had a second chance?” under which attendees wrote personal examples.

Majors Dina and Henry Graciani are the ARCC leaders.

CFOT

Cadets consider Indigenous ministry

Cadets attended an Indigenous ministry seminar Jan. 20, led by Captain Crystal Porter and Major Shari Russell from the Canada and Bermuda Territory, who are both board members of the Native American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies. They emphasized the importance of acknowledging the land and its history, and shared that their territory now holds an annual Pow Wow, which provides both a safe place for Indigenous people to embrace their culture and an opportunity for others to learn and participate in traditional ceremonies. “It looked like an experience that celebrated the uniqueness of a specific culture while upholding the unity of the body of Christ,” Cadet Brian Reed said. NFC

General adds signature of support for women’s rights in Afghanistan

General Brian Peddle signed an open letter to the United Nations (UN) and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressing significant disquiet about the rights of Afghan women.

Exhibit showcases pandemic response

On Jan. 12, a new exhibition was launched at Gallery 101 at International Headquarters (IHQ) entitled “Everyone Needs an Army.” The exhibit featured a 15-minute documentary film produced by the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s communications team and advertising agency Grey Canada, along with corresponding display panels that showcase stories of Salvation Army community response and service throughout the COVID-19 pandemic across Canada and Bermuda.

The exhibition was opened by General Brian Peddle, who commended the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s pandemic response and highlighted The Salvation Army’s compassionate presence around the world. “As we declare this exhibit open,” he said, “may it be something that encourages our hearts, helps us celebrate a difficult time in our history and gives us great hope for the future.” NFC

Sunflower Cafe supports Ukrainian refugees

The Sunflower Cafe and Hub at the Scarborough Corps in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, offers a meeting place for people who have fled the war in Ukraine.

“Our aim is to make them feel welcome here, as well as help build relationships with people in the town,” said Scarborough Corps Officer Major Stephen Noble. “Ukrainians will be able to enjoy some of the tastes of Ukraine with dishes cooked in the cafe. The hub will offer language classes, practical assistance and training with the aim of helping them secure employment.”

The Salvation Army is partnering in the initiative with Scarborough Sunflower Appeal, a group that supports Ukrainian refugees. Over the past year, Scarborough welcomed more than 120 refugees to the area. NFC

EDS teams respond to tornado in Georgia

In the USA Southern Territory, The Salvation Army responded following destructive tornadoes that wreaked havoc across Georgia’s Henry, Meriwether, Troup and Spalding counties Jan. 12.

Six canteens responded to areas affected by the tornadoes, serving 5,825 meals, 5,547 drinks and 5,571 snacks as of Jan. 18.

“When responders and others return from their physically and mentally exhausting shifts, we’re often the first people they see,” said Lanita Lloyd, Emergency Disaster Director for The Salvation Army of Georgia. “And we do our best to make sure their needs are being met during these difficult times as they serve their communities.” NFC

The letter, signed by faith leaders and other global leaders, highlights “deep concern” about the latest developments in Afghanistan where the higher education ban for women was reaffirmed and announced on Dec. 20 2022. By Dec. 24, the ban on women working in non-governmental organizations and international non-governmental organizations was also announced.

The letter asks António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, and other officials of the organization to note this “calamitous regression in human rights.”

Swiss officer on the road

After 10 years serving The Salvation Army as an officer in the Switzerland, Austria and Hungary Territory, Captain Christoph Lässig embarked on a yearlong traveling sabbatical in July 2022, aiming to return to officership restored, having connected with God and others in different settings, with fresh ideas fueled by new connections. His sabbatical is possible thanks to the international collaboration of The Salvation Army, now active in 133 countries.

“The experience, ideas and contacts I get will help me to better fulfill the mission of The Salvation Army,” Lässig said. “I am convinced that it would be a blessing for The Salvation Army if more officers and employees could do an internship from time to time in an area that is foreign to them. It could be short, like one month. This would promote mutual understanding and enhanced networking.”

Peddle said, “The Salvation Army is an international Christian movement and, as such, our International Social Justice Commission (ISJC) based in New York is represented at the UN. Our role is to advocate for human dignity and social justice with the world’s poor and oppressed. It is in this capacity that I have signed this letter. It is essential that international organizations use their positions to be a voice for the voiceless.”

The letter concludes by thanking the UN and the OIC in advance for their cooperation which should then, “help history to document how your esteemed organizations, representing all of our governments, continue to honor basic obligations towards human welfare, in the most troubled times humanity faces.” NFC

Lässig spent two months in the USA Western Territory—December 2022 at Territorial Headquarters (THQ) with the Multimedia Department and January at the San Diego Kroc Center. While at THQ, he met Colonels Kyle and Lisa Smith, now serving in the Singapore, Malaysia and Myanmar Territory as Chief Secretary and

International leaders visit India

The Salvation Army’s international leaders, General Brian Peddle and Commissioner Rosalie Peddle, traveled to India in January and February, where they engaged in public meetings, youth rallies, women’s congresses, marches of witness and Officers’ Councils.

While in the India Northern Territory, the Peddles participated in an ecumenical meeting in Chennai with church leaders and para church leaders, including the president and secretary of the National Council of Churches in India.

At the end of January, after a week in the India Cen-

Territorial President of Women’s Ministries, respectively. Through them, he was able to pin down his next destination—Malaysia— where he will spend time in several Salvation Army-run children’s homes.

Lässig is chronicling his journey on YouTube, @captainchrisontheroad. NFC

tral Territory, the General commented on the large crowds that gathered for the meetings and the enthusiastic response to his messages.

“The future of the Army in this part of India is very promising as its witness and impact finds its place in countless communities,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “I suggest as we think we know the story of a nation but when you encounter the people you find another story… often a better one.

“God bless India and its people.” NFC

It is essential that international organizations use their positions to be a voice for the voiceless.

—BRIAN PEDDLE, GENERAL

“

This Lent, consider removing one item from your home each day of the season, from Ash Wednesday through Maunday Thursday, all culminating in donating the collection to your closest Salvation Army Thrift Store following Easter. Your efforts will help people seeking recovery from drugs and alcohol receive six-months of no-fee programming designed to help each individual move forward in life without addiction. Plus, you’ll have more space in your home!

TAKE THE

LENTEN DONATION CHALLENGE

FEB. 22 23 24 25

Choose a book you won’t read again.

Select an item from your junk drawer.

WED. THURS. FRI. SAT. SUN. MON. TUES.

Find an unused kitchen gadget. Pick something denim you don’t wear.

Too many purses or bags? Put one 0r two in the box.

Find one to two extra blankets to give away.

Pillows taking up space on the sofa? Put one in the box.

Search CDs and select the least listened to.

Say goodbye to a piece of clothing that doesn’t fit.

26 27 28 MAR. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Select a swimsuit to donate that you don’t see yourself wearing.

12 13

Pick an older item you wonder why it’s still around.

Given up on that sport? Donate the gear.

Dig out a holiday decoration not used last year.

Find a pair of shoes you don’t wear often.

Say goodbye to that “ugly” holiday sweater. You know the one.

Regift an item to the box you didn’t enjoy receiving.

Celebrate your progress. Donate unopened party supplies.

Furniture won’t fit in the box but plan to donate it anyway.

Pick an unloved toy to give away.

Find a working small kitchen appliance you no longer use.

Look for an unused piece of tech—mouse, cell phone, keyboard.

Give light—find a lamp or string of lights that work.

Dig around for something festive or sparkly to pass on.

Clean out your jewelry box. Donate what you don’t wear.

Say goodbye to outdated decor or knickknacks.

Search vinyl records and and select the least listened to.

Look for that board game that friends no longer enjoy.

Say goodbye to that video game you won’t play again.

Dig up a plant container that’s clean and empty.

Find an unused pet accessory—bowl, kennel or toy.

Look for camera equipment you can part with.

Organize your tools and donate any duplicates.

APR. 1 2 3 4 5 6

Find a mug you don’t use. Another mug lover might enjoy it.

Drop your unused craft supplies in the box today.

Have more than one umbrella? Donate one.

SEE MORE about the impact of The Salvation Army and how you can help Fight for Good today at caringmagazine.org.

Donate a puzzle that has all the pieces.

Be sure to take your box to your local Salvation Army drop off location. To find the one closest to you visit satruck.org.