Meet the leaders of the Salvation Army

‘Soap, Soup and Salvation’

New leadership team in place at Prince William Corps

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The new leadership team of the Salvation Army’s Prince William Corps started work this summer in the midst of the pandemic.

“We have set our goals to feed those in need during this COVID-19 crisis” Major Kelly Durant said.

Th e organization’s new majors, Kelly and Regina Durant, began serving in Prince William in July, ready to help everyone in the community “without discrimination,” as the Salvation Army’s mission statement indicates.

“We want people that come to our offi ce and church to feel dignity, and fi nd they are supported to plan for a better future,” Kelly Durant said.

Th e Salvation Army is known for its red kettles at Christmas-time, and to InsideNoVa readers for the annual Christmas Basket fundraiser in these pages, but the organization provides services to the community year round.

“Some people forget that we’re busy all year long, not just during the holiday season, helping others. All year long people come, and they have come even more the past months with all the unemployment, so the need is four times greater and the donations are never enough to help everyone,” Kelly Durant said.

Th e Salvation Army of Prince William is open during offi ce hours 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. by appointment. On Sundays, they are open at 11 a.m. with a limit of 25 people due to pandemic restrictions.

Kelly Durant was born in Oklahoma and Regina Durant in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Th ey married in Bolivia in 1978 and have fi ve children.

Kelly Durant fi rst studied at the University of Oklahoma in 1975 and later at Trevecca Nazarene University in Tennessee, continuing studies in theology. Kelly and Regina Durant’s oldest son was born deaf, and consequently they enjoy working with deaf people because they are fl uent in American Sign Language.

Also, Kelly Durant is certifi ed in Critical Incident Stress Management, the offi cial counseling method practiced by those who serve others in crisis disaster situations.

From 1977 to 1990 the Durants dedicated most of their time to missionary service and evangelism, traveling throughout South America and working with diff erent Christian churches. Th ey were in Bolivia for seven years, Colombia for four years, Brazil for a year and a half, Chile for one year, and Venezuela for six months.

In addition, Kelly Durant taught guitar and English as a Second Language, and performed and sang oft en

Th e Durants were commissioned as sergeants of the Atlanta Hispanic Corps (International) of the Salvation Army in 2001. Th eir position included serving as pastors, evangelists, counselors, social service workers and disaster coordinators in national emergencies. Th ey also directed fundraising donations during the Red Kettle campaigns. In 2004 Regina Durant left her fl ight attendant job at Delta, and the Durants entered the College for Salvation Army Offi cers for more advanced training and education. Th ey were commissioned as captains in Th e Salvation Army in Atlanta in 2005. Regina Durant, who increased her rank to major this year, organizes many Major Kelly Durant and his wife, Regina, began serving the Prince William County Corps of the Salvation events with women Army this summer. PROVIDED in the community, facilitating education for children and mothers. Kelly Durant directs Bible

MORE INFORMATION studies, composes sermons, teaches music and guitar, » The Prince William Corps of the Salvation Army is located at 1483 Old and administers all local Salvation Army activities and » » Bridge Road, Suite 102, in Woodbridge. Telephone: (703) 580-8991 Website: https://salvationarmynca.org/princewilliam/ events in the community. In July, the Durants were transferred to Prince William from Winchester. Before that, they served eight years in Hialeah, Fla., where they attended to the needs of that immigrant community. Th e Durants are lovers with his family in institutions. Th ey visited the homes of of all cultures, are fl uent in Spanish and Portuguese as orphan children, hospitals and retirement communities well as American Sign Language, and enjoy being able to encourage, pray and share their faith. to support and serve everyone in the community.

From 1990 to 1994 the Durants served in Miami and “A long time ago, and even now during this current formed Bible study groups, and they then served viccrisis, our mission continues to be soap, soup and salvatims of the Hurricane Andrew disaster for over a year. tion,” Kelly Durant said. “We want to help a person get Th ey moved to Atlanta in 1994, and in 1996 Regina cleaned up, feel good about themselves, and then they Durant became certifi ed to work as an international are able to have the confi dence they need to go out and fl ight attendant for Delta Airlines. succeed in life.”

Salvation Army’s holiday campaign will start early

For the fi rst time in 130 years, Th e with Christmas assistance, including through about 30,000 red kettles. Opportunities to support the Salvation Salvation Army is starting its anputting food on the table, paying bills, Th e Prince William community raised Army’s eff orts this year include: nual holiday fundraising campaign providing shelter and helping place gift s $82,000 last year but will strive for • Donating digitally with Apple Pay or early across the country. under the tree – assuming the resources $100,000 this year. Google Pay at any red kettle in Virginia.

Th e organization said the money it are available. Th at would include over Majors Kelly and Regina Durant of • Asking Amazon Alexa to donate by raises through its iconic red kettles are 1,200 families in Prince William County. the Prince William Corps affi rm that saying, “Alexa, donate to Th e Salvation at risk this year due to COVID-19 while At the same time, due to the closing requests for food boxes and social service Army,” then specifying the amount. requests for services are at an all-time of retail stores, consumers carrying less help have increased by two to threefold • Giving any amount by texting high. cash and coins, and the decline in foot the past six months. “KETTLES” to 91999.

Based on the increase in services traffi c, Th e Salvation Army could see “We are able to help about one in fi ve • Adopting additional Angels to give already provided in response to the up to a 50% decrease in funds raised of all those that call and we urgently hope and joy to kids and families in need pandemic, the organization said it could nationally through the red kettles. Last need more support for those who remain through Th e Salvation Army’s Angel Tree serve up to 155% more people in 2020 year $126 million was raised nationally unemployed,” Kelly Durant said. program.