New Frontier Chronicle vol. 32 no. 02

Green Salvationists 3

Salvation Army B&B 14

Life skills training 10

High Council 15 Profile 11

Wellness 18

NEW FRONTIER FEBRUARY 2014 Volume 32, Number 2

INSIDE this issue: Green Salvationists

As American family changes,

Camper follow up

The Salvation Army

For many people of faith, care for God’s creation is a primary lens through which to view that faith.

GREEN PAGE 3

Initiative ensures that once a child leaves camp, The Salvation Army stays in touch.

CAMP PAGE 12

Bed and breakfast

Angoon Corps runs B&B to support Army ministry and provide a service to the village.

ALASKA PAGE 14

Expanding wellness

PAID

GLENDALE, CA PERMIT #654

NON PROFIT US POSTAGE

Exploring National Headquarters’ Wellness for All report.

HEALTH PAGE 18

mission to help remains

adapts to increased family diversity

BY SARAH PARVINI

I

n her 16 years of service at The Salvation Army, Ana Aguirre has seen the American family change before her eyes. As program director for the Zahn Memorial Center, an emergency shelter for families in downtown Los Angeles, Aguirre is in constant contact with those in need.

She helps single parents, interracial families and inmate parents, who make up much of the change to the typical family the country once knew. Each day, she does her part to get these families back on their feet, providing them with not only shelter, but guidance.

Young mothers increasingly pour into the center, she said.

“Right now we have a woman in her late 20s who has a 14-yearold child,” Aguirre said. “They have kids when they are very young. Most have GEDs or nothing at all.”

Today, it is not uncommon for a woman to be unmarried when they give birth to their first child. Some 40 percent of

HOMELESS 2 HOME

BY CHRISTIN DAVIS

women without a college degree—and 57 percent who have a high school diploma or less—are single mothers, according to The New York Times.

Yet another type of struggling American family—a byproduct of the United States’ high jailing rate—is the family scraping by with one incarcerated parent. An estimated 2.7 million children nationwide have a parent in jail, according to research by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

At the Zahn Memorial Center, single mothers often cope with incarcerated fathers. Aguirre points to one mother, just 21 years old, with two infants. Another, also in her 20s, seeks assistance with finding housing and care for her FAMILY PAGE 6

When the California Highway Patrol (CHP) recently called The Salvation Army, Alicia Morales headed for the freeway.

A homeless camp there received an eviction notice and the CHP invited the Army to be there with services for those in need. Morales, as the clinical director for The Salvation Army Transitional Living Center and Homeless 2 Home programs in Ventura, Calif., had plenty to offer.

“We found a woman who had dug stairs to get to her camp, created her own fence, had a rug on the floor, a basket for her shoes, and a flower in a vase on the table,” Morales said. “She had respect for her surroundings and pride in what she had, but she wanted help.”

Morales works to assist individuals like this woman who are living on the HOMELESSNESS PAGE 9

Committee builds trust between law enforcement and immigrants

The Salvation Army

P.O. Box 22646 Long Beach, CA 90802-9998

Resources aim to raise crime reporting and reduce victimization

BY VIVIAN GATICA Within the United States’ immigrant population, many believe reporting a crime is not an option.

Law enforcement and local charities in Eagle County, Colo., formed the Eagle County

Law Enforcement Immigrant Advisory Committee in 2010 to build trust between the police and immigrant community, raise crime reporting and reduce victimization, and it’s seeing results.

“Many who are born in other countries may not have the same level of trust of law enforcement as we would hope they have,” said Police Chief Dwight Henninger of the Vail (Colo.) Police Department and co-chair of the program. “I think no matter what some-

body’s immigration status is, it’s important that they feel comfortable reporting when they are a victim of a crime.”

Henninger first approached Megan Bonta, community integration services coordinator for Catholic Charities, to help start the committee by inviting representatives of neighboring organizations to join, including The Salvation Army in Vail. The organizations function as mediators between immigrants IMMIGRATION PAGE 12

Page 2—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

10 WAYS TO SHOW LOVE THIS MONTH

ON THE CORNER

BY BOB DOCTER

1

LXXXV I think I have almost come to terms with who I am, with this multi-layered complexity called my self.

I have moved from rejecting righteous assistance from others to an accepting self-awareness of many of my own inabilities.

Now, stiff joints and small pains mean something other than wicked weeds and tedious persons.

Even emerging from a car takes on characteristics of significant triumph and horrendous hassle.

Moment by moment of every day the frame that pins me together joins a frontal lobe misfire and an oft used word frighteningly flees to remind me that I now live in Erikson’s final stage of life: the choice between integrity and despair.

I reject despicable despair and its debilitating hopelessness.

It is nothing more than surrender to psychological suicide and its accompanying withdrawal from joy and love for and from others. Life disappears as hope is stifled.

No, I tend to resonate toward living a complete life, a fully integrated life combining my physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual self into a complete, but imperfect and very human me.

Making the challenging choice for integrity places certain demands on every part of me—I desire my time to be spent purposefully, my relationships to be warm, loving, actively helping, generous in giving, and non-judgmental.

I seek to enjoy my memories while not dwelling on them. The past is “a bucket of ashes,” cold in the fireplace, but waiting

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PRAISE FOR NEW FRONTIER CHRONICLE Congratulations on New Frontier Chronicle. Your new initiative is striking! You and all the team are to be commended.

You have done yourselves and the Army proud. Warmest greetings and every choice blessing, from a longstanding reader and former editor-in-chief, U.K. Territory.

Ray Caddy, Lt. Colonel Congratulations to you and your staff for this wonderful online resource (newfrontierchronicle.org). I hope that it is accessed often and people spend time looking at the various features. We wish you every success going forward.

Allen Satterlee, Major National Literary Secretary and Editor-in-Chief Alexandria, Va. MORE BOOKS FOR SALVATIONISTS It shows how rich Salvo literature is that we can bounce off this impressive list (bit.ly/tsa50books) with an alternative including no duplicates—The Armybarmy 2014 Salvo Reading List (see bit.ly/armybarmybookslist). Much grace.

Stephen Court, Major Alberta, Canada We want to hear from you We value you as a reader and want your input. Tell us what you think of an article, or submit one of your own. Stay in touch:

for the next fire called “tomorrow.” I seek to learn from the past, live in the present, and prepare for the future.

A life needs a lot of love. Love comes in many flavors. It is not limited nor shrunken as it spreads its rich, soft perfume across one’s landscape. Love is a circuit, two wires allowing directional transmission one going out the other in to give 110 joy volts.

My volt meter erupted when I met this stunning, dark haired, quick witted beauty named Diane. Romance flowered and lives on today.

Three summers later we married and, over time, built a family of six wonderful people who gave us 15 grandchildren and one great grandson.

They helped me move through the loss, first, of my father, then, 30 years later, my mother. My twin brother and I happily move through life autonomously yet together, sharing the joys, sorrows and tears of a tight family still loving the Army and reaching out to “others.”

I have two jobs. I love them both. I refuse to be stereotyped or classified by some developmental chart, yet, I know that there will come a time when I will want to stop work. I will never retire. Now, working is my high.

However, Erikson’s final goal will require some adjustments.

My goal is his. I am rapidly achieving “being through having been (Erikson).

I, however, am not quite ready to be identified in the “having been” slot. That day will come, soon perhaps, but not right now. Its arrival will require me “to redefine my worth in terms of something other than my work roles” (Peck).

My life has afforded me many opportunities and positions of importance. My memory book is heavy. The Army has provided me with consulting opportunities that have enriched me in multiple dimensions. These experiences gave me the skills, self-confidence and an orientation to life that includes God.|NFC

KETTLE TALLY 2012 $

Visit newfrontierchronicle.org/top50books for more information.

4 5 6 7 8

Send a card to someone who is ill in your congregation or community. Better yet, visit.

2013 $

Organize a group to spend a Saturday sprucing and cleaning your corps, or hold a food drive and help restock the food pantry.

Offer to babysit for a young couple in your corps so they can have a night out.

Write a letter to a child who could use some extra attention. Kids love getting mail.

Wash your neighbor’s car.

Go through your bookshelves. Find a book you love, and send it to someone else to enjoy. Be sure to include the latest copy of New Frontier Chronicle, too.

9 10

% Diff

Adopt a deployed soldier who is connected to your corps. Write and send treats.

Leave money on someone’s windshield with a note to enjoy lunch on you.

is published monthly by The Salvation Army USA Western Territory P.O. Box 22646 Long Beach, CA 90802-9998

44,617,990 40,136,095 -10.05

East

29,288,839 26,168,034 -10.66

Commissioner James Knaggs, Territorial Commander

South

46,601,703 41,806,453 -10.29

Colonel Dave Hudson, Chief Secretary

West

26,622,667 24,206,684 - 9.07

National

147,131,198 132,317,265 -10.07

WEST BY DIVISION

newfrontierpublications.org Member of the Evangelical Press Association EDITORIAL STAFF Robert L. Docter, Editor-In-Chief 562/491-8330 bob.docter@usw.salvationarmy.org

59,5168 60,3701 1.43

Christin Davis, Managing Editor 562/491-8723 christin.davis@usw.salvationarmy.org

Cascade

2,485,380 2,176,498 -12.43

Erica Andrews • 562/491-8334 erica.andrews@usw.salvationarmy.org

Del Oro

3,213,447

2,995,117

- 6.79

Vivian Gatica • 562/491-8782 vivian.gatica@usw.salvationarmy.org

Golden State

1,720,392

1,601,441

- 6.91

Karen Gleason • 562/491-8332 karen.gleason@usw.salvationarmy.org

985,236

851,676

-13.56

Alaska

Hawaii & Pac. Isls.

Intermountain Northwest

4,474,675 3,771,974 -15.70 4,680,195.5 4,204,925 -10.15

Sierra Del Mar

1,909,263

1,816,161

- 4.88

Southern California

2,181,700

2,103,968

- 3.56

Southwest

4,377,212 4,081,221 - 6.76

Data as presented to the National Advisory Board in January.

APPOINTMENTS Captain William Finley Divisional Finance Secretary

50 Books every Salvationist should read

Research the social services programs in your community, and donate to one that inspires you.

Central

ALASKA DIVISION

ENTER TO WIN

2 3

Red Kettle Campaign comparison 2012-2013 TERRITORY

Sponsor an overseas child through The Salvation Army, or tell your corps officer you’d like to sponsor the youth councils fee for a young person in your corps.

Captain Tolani Finley Divisional Statistician Protecting the Mission Coordinator DEL ORO DIVISION

Lieutenant Michael Moore Assistant Corps Officer Sacramento Citadel Corps Effective March 5

HAWAIIAN and PACIFIC ISLANDS DIVISION

Captains Katzuo and Rebecca Katjang Divisional Outreach Officers AFRICA ZONE

Colonel Edward Horwood Territorial Commander Tanzania Territory Effective June 1 Colonel Deborah Horwood Territorial President of Women’s Ministries Tanzania Territory Effective June 1

Major Kevin Jackson • 562/491-8303 kevin.jackson@usw.salvationarmy.org Major Linda Jackson • 562/491-8306 linda.jackson@usw.salvationarmy.org Jared McKiernan • 562/491-8417 jared.mckiernan@usw.salvationarmy.org Diana Sanglab, Intern • 562/491-8326 diana.sanglab@usw.salvationarmy.org ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA Shannon Forrey, Web Editor 562/491-8329 shannon.forrey@usw.salvationarmy.org LAYOUT AND DESIGN Kevin Dobruck, Art Director 562/491-8328 kevin.dobruck@usw.salvationarmy.org Adriana Rivera, Graphic Designer 562/491-8331 adriana.rivera@usw.salvationarmy.org ADVERTISING/BUSINESS Karen Gleason, Business Manager 562/491-8332 karen.gleason@usw.salvationarmy.org CIRCULATION Arlene De Jesus, Circulation Manager 562/491-8343 arlene.dejesus@usw.salvationarmy.org

ISSN 2164-5930

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 3

SALVATIO

BY KEVIN JACKSON, MAJOR

T

he environment is an expanding issue today, crossing political, social and religious lines.

For many people of faith, care for God’s creation is a primary lens through which to view that faith—a Green Theology. Vigorous and action-oriented, it maintains that as individuals we can’t be fully God’s people without a deep appreciation and care of God’s creation.

According to the Pew Research Center, 74 percent of Americans favor tougher laws and regulations to protect the environment. And the church has signed on as well. As a member of the National Association of Evangelicals, The

I believe we are to look over the earth the same way God looks over us—with unending compassion, bottomless patience and unlimited grace.

—LT. JOSHUA HAMILTON

Salvation Army added its name to “For the Health of the Nation” in 2004, calling for Christians to “embrace our responsibility to care for God’s earth.”

The statement notes that we are not the owners of creation, but its stewards, summoned by God to “watch over and care for it” (Gen. 2:15). This implies the principle of sustainability: our uses of the Earth must be designed to conserve and renew the Earth rather than to deplete or destroy it. We know that God is not only redeeming his people, but is also restoring the whole creation (Rom. 8:1823).

And so today, a growing group of Salvationists are not only interested in Green Theology, but are committed to applying it in their lives and ministry. Lt. Joshua Hamilton, corps officer in Missoula, Mont., is one. After earning a degree from Arizona State University in civil engineering with an emphasis on sustainability, Hamilton entered the College for Officer Training at Crestmont, and was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer in 2013.

“As an environmentalist, one works to protect the earth from pollution and its harmful effects. As a Christian, one works to bring God glory through his creation,” Hamilton said.

“The two share one purpose of protecting the

TAKE ACTION READ “Loving the Least of These,” a resource document from the National Association of Evangelicals exploring the relationship between climate change and the poor.

LEARN about the benefits of retrofitting your home, office or corps at energystar.gov.

READ The Green Bible (HarperOne, 2010), which highlights over 1,000 references to God’s creation in Scripture.

START a creation care Bible study or action group at your corps.

earth. God gave us the responsibility of looking over it for him. That’s quite a responsibility, one which has no manual or instruction booklet. I believe we are to look over the earth the same way God looks over us—with unending compassion, bottomless patience and unlimited grace.”

The Missoula Corps recycles cardboard and bales clothing for reuse, while one of Hamilton’s main responsibilities at present is the building of a new corps community center with a chapel, office space, social service center, commercial kitchen and multipurpose gymnasium. In the early stages of planning, Hamilton is working with an architect and engineering firm to set a goal of LEED certification, the gold standard in the field of sustainable architecture requiring environmentally sound design processes and techniques.

“It’s an important step for The Salvation Army because it makes fiscal, social and environmental sense as a LEED certified building has the potential to save money, conserve energy, reduce water consumption, and improve indoor air quality,” he said. “In a town like Missoula, where the

environment is important, having a LEED certified building will demonstrate to the community that The Salvation Army is also concerned about the environment and will do what it can to help the community in its efforts to preserve God’s creation. That might lead to more people being led into the Kingdom through the doors of The Salvation Army.”

Across the country in Ludington, Mich., Corps Officer Captain Timothy McPherson became environmentally conscious while serving 10 years as a Salvation Army officer in Germany, where daily recycling and composting is required by the government. His corps recycled plastics, paper and cardboard, and kitchen compost waste, and McPherson does the same today in his corps and home in Ludington.

“God gave us this creation to take care of and this goes hand in hand with how we live day to day,” McPherson said. “It’s in the little things, like using a porcelain cup instead of a styrofoam one, that we show we are good stewards of God’s earth.”

In addition to the recycling, McPherson buys local, organic food as much as possible to reduce fuel costs spent transporting ENVIRONMENT PAGE 14

Page 4—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

I have several families that are evicted from their own family members’ homes because they don’t provide any support.

They’re afraid of this diagnosis.’

—XOCHITL SANTA MARIA, ALEGRIA STAFFER

THE SALVATION ARMY AND HIV/AIDS Addressing prevention, treatment and stigma

BY JARED McKIERNAN

I

t was more than 22 years ago that basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson publicly announced that he had tested positive for the HIV/AIDS virus.

Then, many viewed the diagnosis as a death sentence.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes HIV infection, which destroys the infection-fighting CD4 cells of the body’s immune system making it difficult for the immune system to fight infections. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

Though Johnson is not cured of HIV, his virus is dormant—at an undetectable level. Johnson, obviously, is not the only person living a healthy life with HIV but his diagnosis helped bring the topic of HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention to the forefront of society.

According to the latest United Nations annual report, the global rate of HIV infection and the number of AIDS-related deaths have dramatically declined, thanks to expanding access to treatment. By the end of 2012, 9.7 million people in developing countries had access to AIDS drugs, an increase of nearly 20 percent in a year. The report found that since 2001 there has been a 52 percent drop in annual new HIV infections among children and a 33 percent reduction in newly infected adults and children combined.

The Salvation Army has been instrumental in the fight against HIV and AIDS since the early 1980s—well before Johnson’s announcement.

In Zambia in 1983, AIDS outbursts were in full effect. The Salvation Army mobilized a team and designed an approach of home-based care to help people dying of AIDS. That model is still used today, as it continues the Zambia HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care and Treatment Partnership (ZPCT II)—a testament to The Salvation Army’s commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Advancements in antiretroviral treatment have helped accelerate the progress in vulnerable regions like Zambia.

According to Avert, antiretroviral treatment is the main type of treatment for HIV or AIDS. It is not a cure, but it can prevent people from becoming ill for many years. The treatment consists of a daily drug that has to be taken for the rest of a person’s life with the aim of keeping the amount of HIV in the body at a low level. This stops any weakening of the immune system and allows it to recover from any damage that HIV might have caused.

“Now that people are living with HIV for long periods of time, many live well into old age if they’re able to seek treatment,” said

BY THE END OF 2012, 9.7 million people in developing countries had access to AIDS drugs, an increase of nearly 20 percent in a year.

SINCE 2001, there has been a 52 percent drop in annual new HIV infections among children and a 33 percent reduction in newly infected adults and children combined.

Sara Davis, HIV/AIDS technical adviser for The Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO).

SAWSO attended last summer’s 19th annual International Aids Conference in Washington, D.C., which included nearly 25,000 leaders, experts and survivors. The Salvation Army has also facilitated other faith leaders learning how to speak about HIV/ AIDS in their own congregations to reduce its stigma and discrimination, raise awareness of mother-to-child transmission and promote demand for HIV/AIDS services.

The Salvation Army partners with World Concern, Pact, World Vision, World Education Initiative and AfriCare to holistically address HIV/AIDS and poverty. As with ZPCT II, The Salvation Army is not always the lead facilitator for some of the HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs it is involved with, but is often working deep in communities.

“We’ll work with these partners to go for funding,” Davis said. “The Salvation Army is best suited to be a sub-grantee to those, but we’re a local partner. We’re in the rural, hard-to-reach places.”

Yet, HIV/AIDS is not a rural issue; it’s a global one.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV infection, and almost one in six are unaware of their infection.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Feb. 7, is a testing and treatment community mobilization initiative designed to encourage African Americans across America to “get educated, get tested, get involved, and get treated.” More than 230,000 African Americans have died of AIDS-related illnesses to date. Nearly 40 percent of total deaths and nearly half of the 1 million people living with HIV in the U.S. today are black. African Americans represent 14 percent of the U.S. population, and AIDS is the third leading cause of death for both African American men and women ages 35-44.

“We urge people to take advantage of the week’s free testing opportunities,” said Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of the Louisville, Ky., Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, near where The Salvation Army of Louisville is offering free testing in the month of February. “Everyone should know his or her HIV status so they don’t unwittingly spread the virus to others and so that they are able to begin treatment if needed.”

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 5

ANNUAL HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAYS n FEBRUARY 7 National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day n MARCH 10 National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day n MARCH 20 National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day n MAY 18 HIV Vaccine Awareness Day n MAY 19 National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day n JUNE 8 Caribbean-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day n JUNE 27 National HIV Testing Day n OCTOBER 15 National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day n DECEMBER 1 World AIDS Day

Photos depict the grounds and living space found at Alegria in Los Angeles.

This place is safe.

You won’t be discriminated against. I’m

H I V

comfortable here and my kids smile when we come here. This place makes me look forward to the next day.’

—LASHINA HILLEY, ALEGRIA RESIDENT

A I D S

HUMAN: because this virus can only infect human beings IMMUNO-DEFICIENCY: because the effect of the virus is to create a deficiency, a failure to work properly, within the body’s immune system

VIRUS: because this organism is a virus, which means one of its characteristics is that it is incapable of reproducing by itself. It reproduces by taking over the machinery of the human cell

ACQUIRED: because it’s a condition one must acquire or get infected with; not something transmitted through the genes

IMMUNE: because it affects the body’s immune system, the part of the body which usually works to fight off germs such as bacteria and viruses

DEFICIENCY: because it makes the immune system deficient (makes it not work properly)

SYNDROME: because someone with AIDS may experience a wide range of different diseases and opportunistic infections. (aids.org)

Though education has helped quell much of the initial fear about the virus, stigma remains, especially in the U.S. Research by the International Centre for Research on Women found the possible consequences of HIV-related stigma to be: loss of income/ livelihood; loss of marriage and childbearing options; poor care within the health sector; withdrawal of caregiving in the home; loss of hope and feelings of worthlessness; and loss of reputation.

The Salvation Army in Los Angeles responded to the increasing impact of HIV and AIDS on homeless families.

In 2001, it established Alegria, a residential care facility in Silver Lake for families with special needs, including those affected by HIV and AIDS. It has three major components: a free 16-unit transitional housing program, a 24-unit permanent housing program and a licensed child care program.

“Our mission is to help our families survive here and stabilize their health,” said Xochitl Santa Maria, Alegria’s director of residential care.

“We want to provide them with the support and resources to help them live a hopeful and dignified life.”

In 2012, Alegria and its Downtown Los Angeles affiliate, Zahn, housed or supported more than 90 families in either emergency, transitional or permanent housing. Alegria-Zahn staff coordinate with resident families to find appropriate “next step” housing.

Some residents who are placed in the two-year transitional housing then graduate to the neighboring permanent facilities, which charge approximately $800 a month for a three bedroom town home. Medium monthly income must be at least double the cost of rent.

“We have staff members that have worked for Alegria for over 30 years, giving residents a high quality program, and nothing but unconditional support,” Santa Maria said. “By the end of their two years, some of them don’t want to leave because there’s such serenity here.”

A licensed Residential Care Facility for the Chronically Ill (RCFCI), Alegria offers a full-time registered nurse, two 24-hour certified nursing assistants as well as counseling and mental health therapy, life skills, budgeting class, parenting classes, employment assistance, legal clinics, tutoring through School on Wheels and HIV education classes.

“I have several families that are evicted from their own family members’ homes because they don’t provide any support,” Santa Maria said.

“They’re afraid of this diagnosis.

Here, they have support groups where they can share their experiences.”

For Lashina Hilley, options were few after moving from Wisconsin to California to reunite with family. She exhausted all of her resources trying to find a stable place to live and wound up homeless.

“I didn’t know it was going to be so hard,” she said. “I sacrificed everything I had to come here.”

Hilley had been living in a hotel with three of her kids but could no longer afford it. It was either Skid Row, or Alegria.

“This place is safe,” she said. “You won’t be discriminated against. I’m comfortable and my kids smile when we come here. This place makes me look forward to the next day.”|NFC

Page 6—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

Adapting to changes in the American family

RELIGIOUS

FAMILY FROM PAGE 1 AFFILIATIONS toddlers while her spouse faces life in prison.

The percentage next to each religious “We have to look for ways to help them see the spouse, group indicates the percentage of U.S. and help them deal with courts,” Aguirre said of The Salvaadults who belong to that group. tion Army’s many duties.

Tough loves comes with the job. Often times, women 0.6% margin of error based on 35,556 cases.

Pew Research Center will give a chunk of their small funds to their incarcerated partners for food and other essentials. According to Aguirre, one mother wanted to send $100 of her $500 monthly income to her husband.

“I pulled her aside and I said, ‘You need to think of your children. They need a home,’” she recalled. “We tell them what their priorities should be. Their husbands aren’t our priority.”

As families changed significantly over the last century, The Salvation Army has tried to keep pace with the shift, modifying its services in-kind.

At the start of the AIDS epidemic, for example, The Salvation Army was one of the first providers of shelters for families affected by the disease.

“They don’t shove religion down people’s throats,” said Dr. Diane Winston, an expert in religion at the University of Southern California. “On the whole, the Army evangelizes by doing good work for people rather than beating them over the head.”

Since it started offering social services in the 1880s, The Salvation Army has tried to meet the needs of people “as they actually are,” Winston said. For centuries, the organization has had to be flexible in the services it offered and sensitive to a range of living or familial arACCEPTANCE OF BLACKS rangements.

The Salvation Army’s adapta- AND WHITES DATING tion to the changing family falls EACH OTHER, 1987–2009 in line with the organization’s Percent agreeing with the statement that it is all Christian ideals—the messages found in the Bible of helping the right for blacks and whites to date each other. hungry, poor and dispossessed.

“In the true compassionate Christian way, they accept people as they are,” Winston said.

And The Salvation Army isn’t alone in adaptation to the changing family—as the typical household changes, so does the influence of the Church.

Changes in family life have become a main concern in faith —MAJOR DAVE HARMON communities that view religion and family as inextricably linked—marriage and parentSource: Pew Research Center surveys, 1987–2009 hood make religion more important to people, but families are becoming less religious.

Nearly half of Americans say the growing number of “people who are not religious” is bad for society, yet the PUBLIC VIEWS ON DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS number of religiously unaffiliated Americans, or “nones,” is only increasing, according to an October 2012 study from the Percent saying increase is...

NO DIFFERENT GOOD THING BAD THING Pew Research Center.

As one of the fastest growing “religious” groups in the world, nones show how changing families and varied upPeople of different races bringings have stymied many messages of the Church. marrying each other One-fifth of the U.S. public and one-third of adults under 30—those who are most likely to have children—fall into Women not ever having this group. Nearly 6 percent of Americans—13 million peochildren ple—are self-described atheists or agnostics.

Families are also more diverse today than they were a deMothers of young children cade ago. Increasingly, parents come from different religious working outside the home and ethnic backgrounds as more same-sex couples take their vows, Catholics marry Jews, and blacks marry whites.

Gay/lesbian couples “It’s consistent with the Christian church and it’s a scanraising children dal in a way that Christianity did not embrace diversity in culture and in race for many years,” said Major David HarUnmarried couples mon, who has spent decades as a minister for The Salvation raising children Army and is in an interracial marriage himself.

Interracial marriages can only make The Salvation Army People living together stronger, he added. without being married Harmon and his wife asked themselves a number of questions before they were married more than 30 years ago.

Single women having children Chief among them was whether their racial differences—he is white and she is African-American—was reason enough Note: Don’t Know/Refused not shown. Source: Pew Research Survey conducted Oct. 1-21, 2010, N=21,691 adults to stifle an otherwise successful relationship.

In the end, they decided they couldn’t abandon a loving partnership on the grounds it might be challenging for others to accept.

As mixed marriages like Harmon’s become more common throughout the U.S., The Salvation Army has reached out to racially diverse families through various programs and pastoral counseling, he said.

“The intercultural marriage in our clergy and our con gregations have made us better servants to the American community,” Harmon said. “It has caused us to think more —DR. DIANE WINSTON deeply than in the past. It’s made us more inclusive.”|NFC

It’s consistent with the Christian

church and it’s a scandal in a way

that Christianity did not embrace

diversity in culture and in race for many years.’

60 25 14 55 11 29 38 21 37

41 12 43 43

10

43

46 24

9 4

43 69

They don’t shove religion down peoples throats. On

the whole, the Army evangelizes by doing good work for people rather than beating them over the head.’

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 7

La Crosse launches ‘Eviction Diversion’ program The referral-based program will direct clients to community providers.

BY JARED McKIERNAN

I

n a fickle economy, many homeowners are susceptible to foreclosure. Though less publicized, renters can face their own form of crisis: eviction.

The Salvation Army of La Crosse, Wis., launched a new Eviction Diversion program to thwart these crises and keep families in their homes through financial counseling and referrals. A $50,000 startup grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation will assist La Crosse residents who are at-risk of losing their housing, but have not yet received eviction notices.

Tennille Spears, outreach case manager, will work with eligible clients in La Crosse to direct them toward financial management, employment and child care resources offered by community providers such as The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and The Parenting Place.

“What I ultimately hope is to be able to prevent a small, short-term crisis into becoming something large and having people lose hope when there are so many community resources out here to help them,” Spears said. “I hope to empower these individuals with knowledge and skills so that in the future, they can utilize them.”

The program is modeled after a similar project developed by Major Paul Moore, La Crosse corps officer, during his appointment in nearby Madison, Wis. According to Moore, Madison’s Eviction Diversion program boasts an 85 percent success rate for keeping graduates in their housing six months after finishing the program.

Clients in La Crosse will be grouped into one of three levels of case management, based on the severity of the situation. The Eviction Diversion program can provide emergency rental assistance directly, but its primary function is a referral and skill-building resource, Spears said.

“We do have funding available, however we want to be clear that it’s not a financial program in that if someone is in need of rent or a security deposit, this really isn’t the program for them,” Spears said. This is more of a skill-building, self-sufficiency, independence, learning program.”

Moore said he expects the program to free up space at The Salvation Army’s emergency shelter in La Crosse, which is the only emergency shelter in the eight counties nearest La Crosse. The shelter was originally designed to house 38 individuals, but it’s since outgrown its designated space and invaded other parts of the corps. It now holds around 75 a night.

“The shelter’s basically killed a lot of our other corps programming and we simply don’t have more room,” Moore said. “We’re now using the gym to house people so I can’t take my Sunday School kids anywhere. We can either become bigger or we can become smarter.”

The Salvation Army separately offers a rental assistance program as well as an emergency shelter in La Crosse, where 23.5 percent of residents live below the poverty line.

Wisconsin’s state average is just 12.5 percent.

The city also faces a shortage of affordable housing. This is further intensified by the demand for student housing in La Crosse, which is home to three colleges.

“La Crosse is inundated with students,” said Kelly Bundy, director of social services

What I ultimately hope is to be able to prevent a small, shortterm crisis into becoming something large and having people lose hope when there are so many community resources out here to help them.’

—TENNILLE SPEARS

for The Salvation Army of La Crosse. “Most of that affordable or low-income housing is really geared toward students so it’s very difficult for people in our shelter or low-income people in general to find housing in La Crosse. It forces our people to look outside the community in these outlying communities, but then it puts them in a bind because most of them utilize the bus system for transportation.”

Many of these residents then cannot access the jobs and services they need because the city’s bus line is inconvenient for them. They then opt to move into higher-rent places near downtown La Crosse.

“Then, we’re getting people into housing that they can’t afford in the first place,” Bundy said. “They can afford it for maybe a month or two but after that it’s just not sustainable. A lot of people that come through our shelter doors are actually people that had housing and were evicted from housing.”

In Wisconsin, landlords can begin an eviction on the basis of non-payment of rent, as in any state. In addition, they can take action on the basis of a violated rental lease due to damage to the property, criminal activity or even failure to maintain a yard. Landlord foreclosures have also contributed to tenant eviction in La Crosse as several residents who entered The Salvation Army’s emergency shelter were unknowingly paying rent to a house that was already in foreclosure, according to Bundy.

The grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation will fund the program for one year. The program’s success during that period will determine its future beyond the one-year mark.

While the Eviction Diversion program figures to decrease the demand for The Salvation Army’s emergency shelter, Bundy said she expects the program to spark a slight uptick in demand for other Salvation Army services such as its food pantry and vouchers for its thrift store.

Spears will work with 10-12 people at a time for a minimum of 90 days each. She will follow up with those who complete the program to monitor their success in maintaining housing. Qualified residents can be referred by a landlord or case manager. They can also contact The Salvation Army directly. Bundy said the program has already begun working with several clients.

“We’re really excited about it,” Bundy said. “The community has responded incredibly to the program so we’re excited to start changing some lives very quickly.”|NFC

Page 8—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 9

HOMELESSNESS

Rethink handing over cash at the side of the road

streets of Ventura, as well as those who are at risk of homelessness.

And in Ventura, service providers are taking a new approach.

“We don’t want well-meaning charitable giving to help people maintain a chronic homeless lifestyle,” said Rob Orth, director of social services for The Salvation Army in Ventura County. “We aim to end homelessness through Homeless 2 Home—a street outreach program to engage, build trust and provide assistance to homeless individuals where they live.”

The Salvation Army is one of four agencies in Ventura that operate Homeless 2 Home as part of a Continuum of Care (CoC) in the county aimed at assisting individuals in attaining their highest level of independence.

“In the past, agencies wait for people to come to them. We no longer do that,” said Orth, who spent 20 years as a private investigator and then an assistant pastor before being hired by The Salvation Army in 2012. “We are proactively going out and engaging people in the street, developing relationships, meeting at their level, working on a plan with them for moving into housing. It’s a very tailored, individual approach but it has a system to it.”

At monthly team meetings, Morales said the street outreach workers from each agency collaborate on those each has been in contact with that month, what services were provided and what approaches could be tried. They use engagement cards, modeled after the police field interview cards, to track the chronically homeless.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) changed its funding requirements in 2011 to prioritize street outreach, housing first and rapid rehousing models as best practice

OPINION

To give or not to give?

BY BILL MILLER, ENVOY

Whether or not to give directly to homeless individuals is a difficult dilemma.

I can only speak on behalf of my city, St. Paul, Minn., where many of those who hold up a sign on the ramps and roads are not really homeless or are not really in need of the money. In our city, nobody needs to be homeless, especially anybody that really needs help. Our city has enough beds, including The Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, which turns nobody away, no matter the time or situation.

I’ve found that the signs are a way to tug at our hearts. Yet in that giving, we may actually be providing money for harm, including alcohol or drugs. So despite a giving spirit, you may be enabling harmful behaviors.

I hate to write this as a member of a council who helps people overcome homelessness and addiction everyday, but people who hold up signs do not take advantage of the many avenues possible to get out of where they are. A better use of your money would be a donation to the local Salvation Army, like I do. Get a card for that location—with the phone number and address—and give it to people you encounter on the streets. There is no reason why someone should be sleeping out on the streets. I give my card to businessmen, and I personally give my card to everybody that asks about this question.

I know it’s hard. I know it’s hard when you see someone with a sad face—I mean, I teach all my bell ringers to give. But the bottom line is that The Salvation Army gives people a place to stay, and while I can’t speak for other areas, we live in a bitterly cold environment where people can die if they don’t get assistance. The Army would never let anyone do this, and therefore The Salvation Army I run sometimes houses over 800 people a night.

God bless you for what you do, but avoid hurting people by providing information about The Salvation Army rather than cash.

We want to know: Do you give money directly to the homeless? Why or why not? Visit newfrontierchronicle.org/to-give-or-not and join the conversation.|NFC

approaches to ending both episodic and chronic homelessness.

Communities—including Ventura—that proactively adopted

CLOCKWISE l-r: A man shows Homeless 2 Home outreach team members items in his camp; a man points to where he sleeps each night; a homeless camp off the 101 Freeway, Alicia Morales and Rob Orth talk to a homeless man in Ventura as part of the county’s 2014 Homeless Count and Survey Jan. 28. |Photos by Alexa Boldt

Food and shelter FROM PAGE 1

these changes have already seen a decline in chronic homeless numbers.

According to the Ventura County 2013 Homeless Count and Subpopulation Survey, 1,774 adults and children were homeless at the time of the count, representing an 8 percent decrease since 2012 and the lowest total count since its inception in 2007.

Since 2012, the Ventura County and City of Oxnard Homeless Services CoC systems began implementing a Housing First and Rapid Re-housing approach, and successfully developed over 100 units of permanent supportive housing. There are 12 shelters and 13 transitional housing programs in the area that help individuals and families exit homelessness every day.

The Salvation Army in Ventura operates a transitional living center downtown with 50 beds. In the past two years, Orth said the Army has moved roughly 200 people off the streets and into housing. That’s where Amy Luoma, The Salvation Army’s Homeless 2 Home Housing Specialist, comes in.

“Ending homelessness can’t just rest on the shoulders of social service agencies; we need businesses to step up and employ those who are challenging to employ and we need landlords to take a risk on someone who has tarnished credit and a more colorful background,” Luoma said. “It’s something that has to be done as a group.”

Luoma works to locate every bit of affordable housing in Ventura County, and to establish relationships with landlords and “sell” the Homeless 2 Home program to them.

“The case management component shows that we’re not leaving landlords in the lurch,” Luoma said. “We’re here to support both landlords and our clients.”

Orth said it’s a challenge in Ventura, a coastal community with high property prices. “We’re strategically looking at how we make it work here,” he said. “It may be that people need to be paired so two incomes are supporting one apartment as opposed to everybody being singular.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty, as declared by President Lyndon Johnson. According to government data, the rate of poverty is about 16 percent, with some 46 million Americans living below the poverty line of $23,492 per year for a family of four. In January, The Salvation Army signed on to work with Catholic Charities USA, Feeding America, Save the Children, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Lutheran Services of America, United Way, and The Alliance for Children and Families to support poverty-reduction initiatives.

“It’s easy to meet an immediate need, but our challenge is to take a more long-term view to get people home,” Orth said. “Homeless 2 Home focuses us on one person at a time through relationship development. When we provide social services to the masses, a whole bunch of people are fed for the day but then tomorrow comes…When we engage people in their homelessness, a transformational process can begin.”

The Army’s street outreach team of four is assigned to Ventura areas that match police districts. They make repeated contact with people in the same area, and get to know law enforcement assigned there as well. The team also works through a criminal intervention program to offer assistance to someone with repeated minor offenses.

“It’s a process; someone who has been chronically homeless for 10 years doesn’t suddenly stop being homeless,” Orth said. “It may take two years before someone comes in, but they will get to know us and trust us in that time.”

The Army is now looking at sustainable funding sources outside the government, including an endowment structure, and continues to work with community partners. As a member of the CoC, Orth and roughly 50 other organization representatives sit down once a month to discuss how the group can eliminate homelessness. Another group of local agency executive directors, Ventura County Together, meets to focus on how to reduce poverty.

Back on the side of the freeway, Morales set up an interview for the woman at the Transitional Living Center. She came 30 minutes early, ready to be housed. In the days that followed, a case manager helped her get a Social Security card and ID, and the woman found permanent housing within five days.

“She was a mother and had a home, and was going back to what she knew without the members around her; she was holding on to the family she used to have,” Morales said. “This won’t happen for every person so quickly, but things can be done. She is a woman I will never forget.”|NFC

programs are a necessity

OPINION

Hunger homelessness and hope

BY PETE COSTAS, MAJOR In downtown Raleigh, N.C., there’s been a recent uproar about hunger and homelessness. As the commanding officer of The Salvation Army here, I stay abreast of issues and situations like this, and meet collaboratively with representatives of other agencies and missional ministries who set forth the ideal goals of trying to end hunger and homelessness.

In one such meeting recently, I played a long-debated argument through my mind and came up with what I think is a sound conclusion. Some argue that The Salvation Army and other social ministries, at best, only provide a “Band-Aid on a cancer.” Others may even go a little further and say that we become “enablers,” doing more harm than good.

From my own personal experience I want to make a couple of statements: 1. Hunger and homelessness are not diseases, but rather symptoms of other diseases. If we can cure those diseases, we can better put an end to the symptoms.

2. Curing the actual diseases that manifest the symptoms of hunger and homelessness is a gargantuan task and often requires a variety of treatments and professional disciplines designed for the individual rather than an entire segment of the population. And perhaps, for some, the only cure is a miracle.

3. I have learned from my personal experience with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), that when doctors cannot cure a disease, they try to provide for their patients “longevity of life” and “quality of life.” To do this, they treat the symptoms.

As I am personally grateful for the chemotherapy drugs that treat the symptoms of MDS, giving me both “longevity of life” and “quality of life,” I am grateful for The Salvation Army and other partners in mission who feed the hungry and provide shelter and other services for the homeless.

Food and shelter programs may not end hunger and homelessness, but they provide hope until a cure is found.

Job 5:16 says, “So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth” (NIV). I pray that within our community, across our nation, and around the world, Christians and people of all faiths will never stop helping others; that we will be moved with the compassion of Christ to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless, and provide hope for those who just may need a miracle.|NFC

Page 10—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

COEUR D’ALENE KROC OFFERS LIFE CLASSES

Courses meant to improve lives of over 13,000 members

BY BILL DAVENPORT

W

ith over 13,000 members, the state-of-the-art Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is now a hub for creative instruction with more than 100 courses offered.

The Kroc Center took steps in 2012 to impact its community in a new way by incorporating open health and life skills classes into its outreach services. Almost all classes are free, and childcare is provided. In 2013, classes averaged 20 participants.

Judy, a Kroc Center member, was struggling to make her marriage work so she reluctantly signed up for the class on forgiveness.

“No matter how hard my husband and I tried to fix it, our relationship was just not working,” Judy said. “We’d been over the same stuff again and again. I kept saying

I was sorry, but it didn’t help his anger.”

She convinced her husband to enroll in the class and said it was the first step to changing their lives. They went to the classes and began meeting with the instructor for private counseling sessions each week.

“We were skeptical at first,” Judy said. “This wasn’t our first time in counseling. But every time, no one gave us anything to actually do. Meeting with this new counselor was different. He gave us homework—we were supposed to pray together. At first we both thought that was crazy and wouldn’t help, but it worked.”

The most successful classes are those by community partners—from banks to grocery stores to government agencies and colleges. For example, the local public health clinic offers a number of classes on everything from chronic pain to healthy eating.

“We have these conversations in our consultation rooms at least once a day,” one healthcare provider and presenter said. “What a great way to have more people hear about these issues without having to schedule an appointment with their doctor.”|NFC

BY MARY RAYNOVICH Christine lived on the streets off and on for 22 years. She was homeless, addicted to crack cocaine and involved in commercial sexual exploitation. When she wasn’t on the streets she was in jail, and that’s where she learned about The Salvation Army’s Wellspring program in Omaha, Neb. She sought out its services—from finding identification documents, to job search and educational resources—and participated in the classes, case management and the counseling offered to victims of sexual exploitation in prison.

Alicia Webber, Wellspring case manager, said healing from this kind exploitation and trauma can take years of support, and through Wellspring many women have reclaimed their lives.

“Because of the nature [of recovery] it can be a very unstable population,” Webber said. “When I close a file they call again or when they may need something else. We never turn anyone away; we’re an open, revolving door—anytime they

Students learn about a variety of nutritional topics in a life skills class on healthy eating at The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene. |Photo by Jamie Bosanko

OUT OF PRISON TO THE WELLSPRING Omaha Salvation Army helps exploited women recover need something they know they can call us.”

Though she said it’s a taboo topic in our culture, Webber said she’s committed to these women.

“We’re always making progress and focus on one goal at a time,” she said.

Christine worked hard to meet her goals, facing difficult issues from her past in the process. When she graduated, she thanked the Wellspring staff for never giving up on her. Today, Christine is drug free, and lives in a home she bought with her husband.|NFC

We’re always making progress and focus on one goal at a time.’

—ALICIA WEBBER

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 11

We kind of pictured [Crestmont] as a bit of a hurdle in the way of doing ministry, kind of a low point in between ministry experiences, but it turns out there’s great ministry opportunity here. We love being in community and having a kind of uniquely woven support system all around us.’

—KELSEY PEARCE, FIRST-YEAR CADET

Introducing first-year Cadet Kelsey Pearce and his route to ministry

A little jargon brought this cadet to Christ

BY ERICA ANDREWS

G

rowing up, Kelsey Pearce was always a little impervious to religion. But when he was 16, he witnessed something that turned him entirely against it.

He went to see a well-known pastor speak at one of Sacramento’s biggest expo centers, which drew thousands of people. It was summer, 100 degrees and as everyone was leaving, Pearce saw at the exit a father and two children who appeared to be homeless.

They had a sign that read “Hungry, thirsty, please help.”

“He had these two little boys who had their shirts off and looked kind of sun beaten,” Pearce said. “I’m not the kind of person who hands a $1 to every one I see necessarily, but I just remembered how there was thousands of these Christians passing by this family and nobody even handed them the rest of their sandwich or a drink of water.”

After that incident, Pearce said he was done with organized religion.

He said he began to drink heavily and party with his friends. While in community college, he heard about an opportunity to work at a summer camp Oregon. He and his friends thought it would be a fun, easy way to earn some extra cash.

Pearce said they were unsuitable candidates, but did a good job fluffing their application answers using their Christian backgrounds and all the right jargon. They all got the jobs, and Pearce said something happened to them at camp.

“After the first week of orientation,

before the kids were even there, we’d all been saved,” Pearce said. “It was kind of an awesome experience in that way.”

While there, Pearce also met his future wife, Jess. They married a year later at 21. They both felt called to work for The Salvation Army and for two years served as corps assistants for the Merced Corps in Central California. They dreamt of mission work in the Czech Republic, and were sent by Western Territorial Headquarters in 2010.

They felt called to ministry in the worst parts of the city where there is a large Romani population (commonly known as Gypsies). The 2011 census reported 13,150 Romani inhabitants in the Czech Republic. More than 60 percent of Czech Republicans also identify as nonreligious, according to the Czech Statistical Office.

“They had a lot of good social programs, but they didn’t have a lot of ministry programs over there, so we felt called to bring more ministry programs and move toward the idea of starting a corps there in that part of town,” Pearce said. “That was something we thought and talked about, but it never made sense given that we were on a short term mission, so we were inspired to hopefully—if God wills it—go back one day.”

Cadet Kelsey Pearce |Photo by Tim Schaal

FACT: Of the 101 cadets currently studying at the College for Officer Training at Crestmont in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., 59 are under age 35.

After returning, the Pearces worked at the Suisun City Ray and Joan Corps Community Kroc Center, helping to establish the center and welcome the community. They felt compelled to be officers while there. For a long time they had wrestled with the idea, but said they weren’t ready to give up control.

Last year, the couple moved to Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., to attend The Salvation Army’s Crestmont College for Officer Training. Pearce said that even though they were reluctant, the experience has proven beneficial.

“We kind of pictured it as a bit of a hurdle in the way of doing ministry, kind of a low point in between ministry experiences,” Pearce said, “but it turns out there’s great ministry opportunity here. We love being in community and having a kind of uniquely woven support system all around us.”

Pearce, 26, now in his second semester, said the classes can be challenging, but he is enjoying that aspect and feels like he is learning and growing.

“It’s kind of like a sharpening process,” he said. “There’s so many intelligent people around and so many experienced people around that we’re able to learn a lot in this time.”

Pearce eagerly eyes the future as a full-fledged officer. In whatever community he is placed in, Pearce said he wants to help bring people to know Christ and the Army.

“My hope as Salvation Army officers is that whatever we do and wherever we go, The Salvation Army and the shield in that community be seen with excellence,” Pearce said. “We’re passionate about ensuring community relations and relationships of all kinds are handled delicately and that we air on the side of love with all of the people we meet.”|NFC

ONE IN FIVE ADULTS say they are not part of a traditional religious denomination.

That’s 46 million Americans, a 20 percent increase since 2007. The trend is more dramatic among younger respondents.

—Pew Research Center 2012.

Page 12—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

Initiative to connect corps with campers A week of camp will no doubt have an impact on all that attend, and so we want to take that week and make it a yearround experience.’

—JIM SPARKS

Territorial youth department stresses camper follow up using new, multi-faceted program.

DIVISIONAL CAMPS IN THE WEST Alaska: King’s Lake Camp Cascade: Camp Kuratli at Trestle Glen Del Oro: Camp Del Oro Golden State: Redwood Glen Camp Hawaiian and Pacific Islands: Camp Homelani Intermountain: High Peak Camp Northwest: Camp Arnold at Timberlake Sierra del Mar: Pine Summitt Camp Southern California: Camps Mt. Crags and Camp Gilmore Southwest: Camp Ponderosa Ranch

BY KAREN GLEASON

T

he Western Territorial Youth Department initiated a territorial camper follow up program in 2013 to ensure that once a child leaves one of the territory’s 11 camps, the Army stays in touch.

Last year alone, 16,426 children attended camp in the West, and the youth department expects the follow up program to gain traction this year.

“A week of camp will no doubt have an impact on all that attend, and so we want to take that week and make it a year-round experience,” said Jim Sparks, territorial director for youth leadership development. “Our desire is to connect campers and their families and welcome them to the corps family. A simple follow up phone call, program invitation, or a visit to a camper can be the moment that introduces Jesus to the whole family.”

The program assigns specific responsibilities to the camps; corps, outposts or service extension units; divisions and Territorial Headquarters (THQ).

Camp staff input all seeker information into the territorial camp software, developed by the West’s Information Technology (IT) department for this purpose.

The software automatically sends reports to the appropriate corps and division.

A point person from each corps, outpost or service extension unit then sends a corps program flyer to campers at home, and within a week of the camp calls each camper with a personal invitation to the corps.

IMMIGRATION

| Photo by Nate Agnini

The Reno (Nev.) Corps sent almost 40 children to camp in summer 2013 including Lesley, 14, who first met The Salvation Army with her family through the Army’s social services. She attended vacation Bible school and then went to camp.

“At first I was standoffish,” Lesley said. “I thought people would be judgmental and would try to force God on me.”

After seeing a movie that showed the power of God’s love and experiencing the kindness of other campers and staff, Lesley said she accepted Christ. She went on to become a junior soldier and shared her testimony at the corps.

“Before coming to The Salvation Army, I was depressed and angry, not sure what my purpose was,” she said. “Now I understand that God loves me and has a plan for me.”

The divisional and territorial youth departments support the field and monitor the success of the program. At the end of the summer, the divisional youth departments send a congratulatory card to each camper who made a decision to follow Christ. THQ examines divisional reports on the program and sends an annual camper follow up kit based on reviews from corps and divisions.|NFC

FROM 1

and the police for those who don’t yet feel comfortable enough to directly approach law enforcement.

“We felt [that] we needed to build on the trust levels between the immigrant community and law enforcement, and we felt that the best way to do that was to have well-respected leaders in the immigrant community from other provider organizations assist us in developing these trust levels because they already have this established relationship,” Henninger said.

The initiative consists of resources and programs to the immigrant community addressing their legal rights, how the police department works, and how to report crimes. A volunteer interpreter program provides Spanish, Russian and French third-party interpreters to facilitate police interviews, investigations and victim statements. Law enforcement receives training as well on how to better communicate with non-English speakers, immigration law, and cultural information about the county.

The committee printed brochures to answer frequently asked questions on the essentials of crime reporting, victimization and general police activity. It hosts coat and food drives, as well as outreach events like Shop-with-a-Cop and the Spanish Citizens Police Academy, which is a series of classes to help participants better understand the different aspects of law enforcement. “[The initiative] starts really educating the com-

mittee members and law enforcement, and...expands to having committee members educating the larger community, having that word of mouth spread, having that direct trust build so that the community feels more trust in going directly to law enforcement rather than one of us as an intermediary,” Bonta said. “We get really excited when they directly call the police department to ask a question or just go straight there to report a crime, and we’re seeing that increase.”

Among the Hispanic population in Eagle County, crime reporting increased from 5.4 percent in 2010 to 7.9 percent in 2012. Both arrests (41.9 in 2010 to 33.1 percent in 2012) and victimization (22.2 percent in 2010 to 19.4 percent in 2012) numbers fell.

“These are pretty exciting things that people are comfortable reporting crimes to law enforcement without fear of deportation or that the victim might have to interact with our federal immigration authorities,” Henninger said. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re here legally or illegally, they should not have to be a victim.”

As the program continues, Henninger and Bonta hope to keep seeing these results.

“It’s an ongoing program because there’s always community and law enforcement turnover, so I’d get really excited to see it self-sustain,” Bonta said. “I think it’s important to have that trust to build an overall safer community.”|NFC

I think no matter what somebody’s immigration status is, it’s important that they feel comfortable reporting when they are a victim of a crime.’ —POLICE CHIEF DWIGHT HENNINGER

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 13

TIPS FOR RECRUITING THOSE IN RECOVERY

BY GLEN DOSS, MAJOR

‘‘L

t. Colonel Lois Allen profoundly touched my life. Consequently, I became a Salvation Army soldier,” declares Ed Holmes, a 2001 Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) alumnus.

STUDY REVEALS MOST, LEAST “BIBLE-MINDED” CITIES

BY LAURA HAAS

A

report from the American Bible Society ranking 100 U.S. cities from the most to least “Bible-minded,” revealed the majority of highly “Bible-minded” cities are located in the South and the least in the Northeast and West.

For the purpose of the study, an individual was considered “Bible-minded” if he or she claimed to have read the Bible in the past seven days and considered the teachings of the Bible to be true.

Major Christine Poff, The Salvation Army’s national consultant for Christian education, said that the results were not surprising.

“The majority of the cities that were more Bible-minded fell within the Bible Belt,” Poff said.

“In the Bible Belt evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than other parts of the country.”

The study also found an inverse relationship between population size and “Bible-mindedness,” meaning that larger cities were less likely to be “Bible-minded” than smaller cities and towns.

According to the American Bible Society, the ranking will help organizations engage in more effective ministry by understanding where people are coming from in their relationship with and understanding of the Bible.

The first doctrine of The Salvation Army affirms the Bible’s position as the central guide for the work and mission of the organization.

To ensure the continued interest in and engagement with the Bible, National Headquarters is in the process of updating current programs and developing new ways to share the Bible with those who come in contact with The Salvation Army.

“Many of the new curricula are incorporating more media-based learning,” Poff said. “We also need to use technology, apps, social media to promote the Word, to give opportunities for learning and for being connected in community.”

The Army has also partnered with the American Bible Society to develop a Bible-based reading instructional program for first-time learners and ESL students in the Eastern and Central Territories. It uses biblical stories and words to teach individuals about the Bible and how to read and write at the same time.

“This however, does not replace the coming together in physical community and developing relationships that provide support, encouragement and accountability,” Poff said, adding that all of

these programs mean nothing without meaningful relationships and discipleship.

When Major Algerome Newsome, area commander in Chattanooga, the most “Bible-minded” city in the nation, first moved to the area, members of the community were quick to brag about the special status that the ChrisReceive daily Bible messages tian faith holds in on your phone from the American Bible their town.

“When I arSociety. Text bibleintro202 to 72717. rived in Chattanooga just over two years ago, I was greeted with the phrase ‘Welcome to the Buckle of the Bible Belt,’” Newsome said. “They are proud of the self-proclaimed title.” Yet Newsome added that while the community is familiar with the Bible, there is still work to be done.

“Bible knowledge does not always equate to Bible action,” Newsome said. “The Bible has always been central to the mission of the Army. The Book of James reminds us that ‘faith without works is dead.’”

Knowledge of the Bible has not led to harmony in the community. It hasn’t even ensured harmony among believers. The large number of Christians in Chattanooga leads to more discussion and often, disagreement, about the needs of the community and how to go about meeting them.

“Unity in the common purpose of God evades the community,” Newsome said. “This is evident by the growing number of new churches popping up as well as the number of churches that are splitting and traditional churches that are dying.”

The study revealed an openness to the Bible in many communities and room to deepen relationships to it.

“It isn’t about all the programs we do, or the curriculum we produce, or the things we do for others,” Poff said. “It’s using those things to connect and develop relationships with our youth and the people we come into contact with through social services, women’s ministries, corps activities, and so on. Through those relationships we can teach the Word and minister to the soul issues.” |NFC

“It was after Major Darren Trimmer went out of his way to accompany me to court that I committed to becoming a soldier,” said Glen Chase, a 2012 ARC alumnus.

This list could go on and on.

As part of the ARC family for over 20 years—first as an administrator, then as a chaplain—I have long heard the stories of ARC beneficiaries and alumni and I’ve found a common thread. Generally, it was after a Salvationist showed an active interest in an individual’s life that he or she became a soldier.

I realize you may be thinking this is nothing new, that personal contact has always been a key to recruiting church members. I agree, but for an ARC beneficiary it is imperative.

Often, the beneficiary is fragile and self-esteem is low as he or she begins recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. The addiction that once fabricated self-confidence became a trap in a dangerous lifestyle. Reaching out to these individuals is certainly included in Jesus’ mandate to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19), but it requires people touching people.

These suggestions may help:

1.

Try to include people in recovery in conversation. If you take the time to ensure they are included, they will likely gain confidence.

2.

Really listen to them. Allow them to express themselves by giving them your complete attention while they are addressing you. This will send the message that their opinions matter, that their concerns are important enough to be given full attention and understood.

3.

Be compassionate and gentle. People in recovery are sometimes on the defensive or may seem to be in a bad mood. Take it with a grain of salt: they have likely taken an emotional beating from themselves and those around them and feel quite badly.

4.

Be careful what you say. People in recovery are sensitive and vulnerable. Where one person might shrug off a side remark, one with low self-esteem may internalize it and crumble from the inside.

5.

Give them frequent positive feedback. Remind them of their strengths, accomplishments and assets.

6.

7.

Express concern. Tell them that you care. People in recovery need to be reminded that others care about them.

8.

Take care not to make jokes that could be taken offensively. It could hurt more than you think.

9.

Don’t baby them. There is a fine line between being nice and laying it on too thick. If you are too nice all of the time, they may either get offended or feel uncomfortable. Be sure to be nice, but just take it easy.

10.

Laugh with them, not at them. Help people in recovery to laugh at their mistakes (and even your own) by trying to find some humor when appropriate.

Encourage them. Applaud success and even failed attempts. Encouragement can mean everything to a person.

Over the years I’ve led many funerals of people who died young as a result of their addictions. Meanwhile, I continue to applaud the great numbers who succeed. Just yesterday, I received a message that read in part: “Today the Lord has blessed me with 18 months clean and sober. Thank you for helping me in my walk with the Lord.” He wanted me to encourage him, and so I did.

You can do the same.|NFC

Page 14—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

In Angoon, Alaska, there’s only one place to stay— The Salvation Army

|Photos courtesy of The Salvation Army in Angoon

THE SALVATION ARMY’S

BY KAREN GLEASON

M

ost afternoons, Angoon, Alaska, Corps Officers Majors John and Cathy Quinn can be found in their home office, inside the bed-and-breakfast (B&B) that supports the Army’s ministry there.

“It’s an odd, but fortunate, twist on how an Army ministry typically supports itself,” John Quinn said. “Instead of the community providing financial support, often through thrift store proceeds, it’s the outsiders who do so. The people who stay at the B&B—mostly professionals who bring medical and educational services to the villagers—they pay to stay, keeping The Salvation Army viable.”

Located in Southeast Alaska on Admiralty Island, Angoon is a small village of about 450 people. Its residents depend on the services of doctors, dentists and educators who regularly visit the town. These visitors need a place to stay, and the B&B is it.

“Crews that come in to augment the village emergency clinic do a tremendous service for the people,” Quinn said.

“It’s difficult for most villagers to come up with the money for a ferry ride to Juneau, and they can’t be flying to Anchorage for medical care.”

The previous owners closed the B&B in the winter, leaving the professionals with nowhere to stay. During those months, residents did not receive medical check-ups, vaccinations and other services.

“Last winter, Mandy, the dentist, couldn’t come in because the B&B was closed,” Quinn said. “She and her team

Lt. Joshua Hamilton stands on the new site of what will be the corps building in Missoula, Mont. |Photo by Loreen Hamilton

BED AND BREAKFAST just got back on the plane and left. The residents ended up missing two rotations of care.”

The Salvation Army came to the rescue in 2013, with a win-win solution for all. The Quinns needed officer quarters after the reopening of the Angoon Corps.

It closed in 2004, but faithful soldiers continued to meet, praying that the Army would return someday. In 2012, during the Living Water Evangelistic Boat Tour, the soldiers received that promise of return.

Alaska Divisional Headquarters (DHQ) purchased the B&B, which provided living quarters and office space for the Quinns, an income source to support the Army’s ministry, and improved professional services for village residents.

Currently, the B&B’s name is “Favorite Bay Inn,” but a summer establishment just 200 yards away called “Favorite Bay Lodge” causes confusion. The Quinns plan to change the name to Eagles Wing Inn, with a design including Psalm 91:4: ...under his wings you will find refuge (NIV).

The Quinns handle all the daily chores, including preparing food, changing linens and general cleaning.

“If we are completely full it averages between two and three hours a day,” Cathy Quinn said. “I can honestly say that running a B&B is one of the best surprise gifts that the Lord has given me...I am blessed in so

many ways by our guests and the ministry of just taking care of them, in Jesus’ name. It seems like such a natural fit for who I am at this time in my life.”

The potential impact of the B&B, however, reaches beyond the village borders.

“Along with being a smart business move for the Army, the B&B provides ministry outreach opportunities that extend beyond Angoon,” John Quinn said.

“Visitors here learn about The Salvation Army and how we make a difference in people’s lives. They can go back to their own community and contribute time or finances to their local Army unit.”|NFC

ENVIRONMENT produce, and designated the corps to receive electricity through renewable energy sources. With his congregation, he stresses the responsibility to take care of creation and not damage it.

It’s a key issue for young people, too, according to Captain Rob Reardon, The Salvation Army’s National Young Adult Initiative Coordinator.

“Millennials don’t see their faith as compartmentalized, and care of God’s creation and seeking a deeper spiritual meaning to that care are universal among them,” Reardon said. “Young adults see their faith as a spiritual journey tied in part to saving the planet.”

Millennials are the most environmentally conscious generation in the

FROM PAGE 3 nation’s history, as almost two-thirds believe global warming is real and 43 percent of them think that it is caused by human activity. Seventy-one percent believe America’s energy policy should focus on developing “alternative sources of energy such as wind, solar and hydrogen technology” as renewable sources of energy topped the list of environmental initiatives in the Roosevelt Institute’s Campus Network (RICN) “Blueprint for a Millennial America.”

Whether young or old, officer or soldier, living consciously and locally within our corps and communities will help Salvationists of all ages become closer to God and to his precious creation.|NFC

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 15

BY CHRISTIN DAVIS

T

hough it has only happened 18 times in Salvation Army history, its importance is clear— behind the closed doors of the High Council, the future of The Salvation Army is decided.

Officers in this Army are appointed to positions throughout 126 countries of ministry with the exception of the General, the international leader of The Salvation Army, who is elected by a body of peers—the High Council. For the first time, Salvationists are taken behind those closed doors through Inside a High Council: How Salvation Army Generals are Elected (Salvation Books, 2013) by General John Larsson (Ret.), who served as the Army’s leader from 2002-2006.

“In the office of the General, every Salvationist in the world is bound together, and because it is the High Council that chooses the General the High Council touches the lives of every member of that vast family,” Larsson said in an interview with New Frontier Chronicle. “My hope is that through this book Salvationists may understand better the process by which the head of the family is chosen.”

While Founder William Booth intended the incumbent General to name a successor, this only happened one time when Booth appointed his son, Bramwell, via a sealed envelope. Larsson notes that British Prime Minister William Gladstone commented in 1896 that not even the Pope could appoint his successor, and eventually Army leaders questioned it as well. When Bramwell Booth’s health left him unfit for office, pressure for reform led to a constitutional crisis in late 1928 that resulted in the first ever High Council in 1929. This in turn led to the Army’s constitution being amended in 1931 so that future Generals would be elected.

“The role and function of the High Council make a fascinating historical study and my original intention was to cover the subject in one volume,” Larsson writes in the preface. “However, soon after beginning my research it became clear that the constitutional crisis that triggered the calling of the 1929 High Council needed a book of its own.”

This book is the partner to 1929—A crisis that shaped The Salvation Army’s future (Salvation Books, 2009). In it, Larsson offers readers a rare look inside the modern-day, yet still tightly sealed High Council proceedings.

A four-time member of the High Council (1993, 1994, 1999 and 2002), Larsson was a candidate for election in 1999 and 2002, when he was elected. He also served as a member of the 1995 Commission on the High Council, which reviewed criteria for membership of the council and considered all aspects of its procedure. In 2005, Larsson executed a Deed of Variation that amended Schedule 4 of the Salvation Army Act of 1980, requiring three votes for a person to be nominated as a candidate for General.

“There has always been a mystique about the High Council,” Larsson said. “Plenty has in fact been written about meetings of the High Council in memoirs and articles, but it is perhaps not until now in this era of greater freedom of information that the time has seemed right for a book on the subject.”

Larsson said he was surprised but reassured in his research to see how High Councils adapted to changing thinking and circumstances. Today, the High Council consists of all commissioners, territorial commanders, and territorial presidents of women’s ministries. The 2013 High Council elected General André Cox with 117 members from around the world.

“At the first purely elective High Council in 1934, the Council did not feel it right even to address questions to

Larsson previews Inside a High Council

TOP The 2013 High Council that elected General André Cox as The Salvation Army’s 20th international leader. RIGHT General John Larsson (Ret.) stands outside Sunbury Court, London, after his election as General of The Salvation Army in 2002 to address the gathered crowd and Salvationists worldwide via livestream.

the candidates because it was thought this might limit the freedom of the one elected as General,” Larsson said. “Now things are much more relaxed but also more incisive, with the questions forming a key part of the ‘getting to know you’ process. In those 85 years of history covered by the book the High Council has been a model in applying the principle of adaptation so beloved by William and Catherine Booth.”

The book is a collection of information Larsson gathered through the years, and from his experience as Chief of the Staff and General.

Ten chapters—beginning with “Genesis” and ending with “Revelation”—cover everything from members, to nominations, questions, speeches and the election itself. An appendix provides High Council Data from 1929-2013.

“Organizing the information was the challenge,” he said. “It had to come alive for readers. and to achieve that I tracked down and highlighted the personal experiences of past members.”

In one letter included in the book, General Albert Orsborn wrote about his experience of being elected General in 1946: “I knew that election would mean the host of God would be looking to me. They would expect me to be always the man with a message. The thought made me tremble. The General is not merely the titular head of an organization, he inherits a spiritual trust which is not just a repository of ideals but is a tradition of vision, inspiration, holy example and dedication to God.”|NFC

PURCHASE THE BOOK via shop.salvationarmy.org or the e-book via bit.ly/ InsideAHighCouncil.

My hope is that through this book Salvationists may understand better the process by which the head of the family is chosen.’

—GENERAL JOHN LARSSON (RET.)

Page 16窶年ew Frontier CHRONICLE 窶｢February 2014

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 17

BY JARED McKIERNAN

F

orty percent of incarcerated persons in the United States are released and locked up again within three years, according to The Pew Charitable Trust. Envoy Roy Snapp-Kolas, director of urban ministry for The Salvation Army’s Southern California Division, is working to curb this number, one inmate at a time.

Snapp-Kolas is part of an interdenominational group called Malachi Dads that goes into the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles every Saturday morning to provide support for inmates. This includes lecture and small group discussions, covering the basics of the Christian faith and how to be a godly man, husband and father. Through his involvement with Malachi Dads, Snapp-Kolas even introduced The Salvation Army’s Bible Correspondence Courses to a group of inmates at the facility. As a result of his pitch, more than 100 inmates requested course packets.

Still, Snapp-Kolas wanted to ensure that the inmates received support beyond their release dates.

“As I got to know some of the men at Men’s Central Jail through Malachi Dads and the Bible Correspondence Courses, I made clear that I would do what I could to make recommendations to the court for placement in Salvation Army programs upon their release,” Snapp-Kolas said.

Kent Buckner was an inmate in one of Snapp-Kolas’ small groups for Malachi Dads. Buckner landed in jail for drug use—for the 10th time. His most recent arrest lasted sixand-a-half months; the majority of the sentence served at the Men’s Central Jail. As Buckner’s release date approached, Snapp-Kolas wrote a letter on Buckner’s behalf to the ORIGINALLY FORMED at the Louisiana Inglewood Municipal Court, State Penitentiary in Angola, La., recommending placement Malachi Dads works to break the at The Salvation Army Bell cycle of criminality from one genShelter’s Wellness Program eration to the next. According to a where Snapp-Kolas’ corps, U.S. Senate report, children of prisBell Lighthouse, primarily oners are six times as likely as other serves. Over the past few children to be incarcerated at some months, Snapp-Kolas said point in their lives. Without effective he has written 10 such letintervention strategies, as many as ters directing inmates to70 percent of these children will ward Salvation Army probecome involved with the criminal grams.

Major Tom Ford, secrejustice system. tary of correctional services for The Salvation Army’s Western Territory, said he would like to see more inmates released into the care of Salvation Army providers, especially those that have established relationships with inmates.

“Ministry is not about preaching behind the pulpit,” Ford said. “It’s more about what goes on in front of the pulpit. So for [inmates], trust is vital. A lot of these guys have a hard time trusting anyone so to have someone guide you as a mentor once you’re released makes all of the difference.”

According to Dr. Kathy Seifert, forensic psychologist of more than 30 years and expert contributor to Psychology Today, inmates can benefit from being released into the care of a familiar individual.

“When released, [inmates] should continue their treatment in community care centers with some continuity in their care,” Seifert said. “If inmates receive the correct care and treatment and form a bond or attachment to those that can provide help and support for them, then we could minimize recidivism.”

Since Buckner’s December 2013 release into the care of Bell Shelter’s Wellness Program, he has regularly participated in services at the Bell Lighthouse Corps and expressed interest in attending the spring 2014 Soldier class, according to Snapp-Kolas. During the last six months of 2013 at least three men Snapp-Kolas met at Men’s Central Jail were discharged to Bell Shelter.

He said his prayer for 2014 is “that more and more of the men that I encounter at Men’s Central Jail will be released into the care of The Salvation Army, will be reunited with their families…and become soldiers with a desire to minister to those still incarcerated.”|NFC

Envoy Roy Snapp-Kolas ministers to inmates, pre and post-release.

CONTINUED CARE A lot of these guys have a hard time trusting anyone so to have someone guide you as a mentor once you’re Kent Buckner and Envoy Roy Snapp-Kolas at Bell Shelter.

|Photo courtesy of Roy Snapp-Kolas

released makes all of the difference.’

—MAJOR TOM FORD

Page 18—February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE

Survey shows increased Salvation Army health programs in the U.S.

Expanding wellness opportunities

BY CHADWICK PHILLIPS

T

The Salvation Army has taken a stance in the fight against the ever increasing issue of obesity. Over the last five years, the Army has expanded its health and fitness programs by 65 percent, providing individuals and families with programs that encourage them to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Obesity, and all of its proceeding negative qualities, can be directly correlated with poverty. According to the United States Census Bureau, the official poverty rate was 15 percent with 46.5 million people in poverty in 2012. The census also showed that of those in poverty, 26.5 million people were aged 18-64, 3.9 million were seniors aged 65 and older, and 16.1 million were children under the age of 18.

For certain populations, healthy lifestyle choices are not readily available either due to access or cost, and choices to eat right and staying active are displaced by alternatives that may shorten life expectancy. Therefore, The Salvation Army provides fitness and athletic programs along with community gardens and cooking programs to those in need.

“People in poverty deserve access to health resources to combat obesity and live long lives,” said Commissioner William Roberts, former national commander who presided over National Headquarters’ 2013 Wellness for All report. “The Salvation Army has grown its mission to encourage wellness for all—for the mind, body, and soul.”

The Salvation Army has developed new programs internally such as Kroc Fit Kids, and partnerships with organizations like Reebok, the National Football League, and Dole, in an effort to broaden services and make health education and fitness programs available to all.

According to the report, fitness and athletic classes are most in demand. Among the surveyed Salvation Army facilities, 73 percent offer at least one type of cardiovascular or strength and muscle building class.

Examples of popular classes and programs include Zumba, basketball, swimming, and dance. These programs are not only tailored to adults, but can be adjusted to fit the needs of children and seniors as well.

Data collected for the 2013 report revealed that adults aged 30-55 make up nearly 40 percent of all participants in Salvation Army wellness programs.

Children aged 0-12 make up about 39 percent and the senior population is around 11 percent.

Although Lt. Col. Stephen Banfield, national secretary for program, holds that all programs are equally necessary, he believes that some of The Salvation Army’s best programs are those that benefit the youth.

“The 373 summer camps and Boys & Girls Clubs allow children to explore and experience life outside of the digital realm,” Banfield said. “The reality of the out-of-doors supersede the virtual reality of the com-

puter culture.”

The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Francisco features an after school program with daily homework tutoring, a nutritious snack, recreation, and enrichment activities to children in first to fifth grades. The program also gives children an opportunity to choose to participate in weekly Salvation Army youth programs such as Rangers, Adventure Corps, Sunbeams, Girl Guards troops programs, and the Kroc Singing Company.

The San Francisco Kroc Center sees an average of about 350 people per day, according to Eva Borrego, fitness program director. Around 64 percent of attendees are 25 and older; 23 percent are ages 0-12.

One of the most successful programs at the Kroc Center in San Francisco is Zumba.

“Zumba, which falls under our group exercise classes in our fitness center is our most popular program,” Borrego said. “Zumba is an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness cardio class. People also see results. It’s not just about losing the weight, it’s really giving folks the self-esteem they need. When you start to believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything.”

On average, 61 percent of Salvation Army wellness programs have seen an increase in demand over the past year, while 56 percent have seen an increase in demand over the past five years. The Salvation Army wellness programs focus not only on informing people, but also helping them to make lifelong changes.

“The 25 Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers offer thousands of men, women and children a variety of holistic programs which address individuals’ body, mind, and soul,” Banfield said. “What’s most important to me is that thousands of men and women’s lives are changed and transformed when they come into our programs. We help make those changes.”

However, with the growing number of participants using The Salvation Army Wellness Program resources, recently many facilities say they do not have enough funding to meet the ever growing demand.

“Notably, 54 percent of Salvation Army health and wellness programs stated donations in 2012 were not able to meet the full demand due to decreased or stagnant giving,” Roberts said. “Yet the need is great, and Salvation Army programs will find a way to meet demand and help the less fortunate find healthy life alternatives.”|NFC

THE WELLNESS FOR ALL REPORT SURVEYED PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES IN THE WEST FROM: Suisun City Kroc Center San Francisco Railton Place Seattle White Center Caldwell Corps, Idaho Salem Kroc Center Modest Red Shield Corps San Francisco Metro Renton Corps, Wa. San Diego Kroc Center McMinnville Corps, Ore. Great Falls Corps, Mont.

Honolulu Kroc Center Grass Valley Corps, Calif.

Kauluwela Mission Corps, Hawaii L.A. Red Shield Youth Center Clark County Coordination, Las Vegas Long Beach Citadel Corps, Calif.

Petersburg Corps, Alaska

TOP The Kroc Fit Kids program at the San Diego Kroc Center gets kids moving. ABOVE The recently expanded cardio area at the Salem Kroc Center. |Photos by Peter Delgado and Kenneth Watson

February 2014 •New Frontier CHRONICLE­—Page 19

BY KATHY LOVIN Since its beginnings in the 1860s, The Salvation Army’s Missing Persons Department has helped reunite lost loved ones and estranged family members through a confidential database search. Its motto is “we help you find the missing peace.”

The program is international, but in the United States it operates in the Western and Eastern territories. In 2013, the Western Territory alone was able to locate 137 individuals.

Those who create an inquiry with the Missing Persons Department are looking for a family member for a variety of reasons: 56 percent simply seek to maintain contact, 17 percent are concerned about the missing person, 9 percent are nearing the end of their life, 6 percent want to locate someone they have never met before, and 4 percent want to make amends.

Tanya Sloan was born in 1968 at a Salvation Army Booth Maternity Home in Hawaii, and asked The Salvation Army for help connecting with her birth mother. She’d reached out to her already through the official government channels, but her mother didn’t want any contact.

Missing Persons Department caseworker Lois Sellers said, “[Inquirers] have to sign a form at the beginning saying they understand we can only release information with the missing person’s permission. That being the case, we proceed to let the person we’re looking for know that their relative is looking for them, and they say either yes or no.”

Sellars—acting as a go-between—spoke to the birth mother who was pleased to hear that Sloan had a good life and a happy marriage. Even though the call went well and she expressed some interest in the information Sellars gave her about Sloan, she was still not willing to meet face-to-face or exchange letters.

Even though the answer was no, Sellars says, “It’s not like ‘well that was a failure,’ because they’ve gotten something: they know [the person] is alive and well so the inquiring relative will get some peace from that.”

Sloan took time to think about whether she wanted to try contacting her mother again and

Tanya Sloan and her father Blue Makue, Jr.

| Photo courtesy of Lois Sellers

Finding the missing ‘peace’ The Salvation Army reunites a father and daughter.

Read the full Midtown Magazine article via http://bit.ly/findingmissingpeace See more about the Army’s missing persons work via http://bit.ly/ tsamissingpersons.

when she made up her mind, it was a firm no.

But Sellars had a great idea that led to more than even Sloan dreamed of.

The Booth Maternity Home records had a lot of information about Sloan’s birth father.

According to Sellars, the amount and detail of the information suggested that her parents were romantically attached and knew each other well. Since the birth father’s full name and date of birth were included in the records, Sellars had little trouble finding him.

In a matter of weeks Sloan was in contact with her birth father, first making a connection with his niece who acted as a bridge between them.

Sloan lives in North Carolina and a local publication took interest in her story. A piece in the November – December 2013 edition of Midtown Magazine, written by Ilese Lane, describes their first interactions in September 2011 this way: “Yet even with strong family resemblance, Sloan’s birth father’s niece—her first cousin, Desiree—wanted to speak with her before disclosing her birth father’s name. And she understood.

‘Desiree had questions. Also, apparently my birth father was a big deal in Hawaii. He was a surfing champion and his father was one of the

original Beach Boys of Waikiki Beach,’ Sloan said.

‘But the whole time, I knew it was right.’

And by the end of their two-hour conversation, Desiree felt the same way…

A few days after that first conversation, the Sloans huddled in front of their home computer, getting ready to Skype with Desiree and the man she now knew as Blue Makue Jr.; the man she now knew with absolute certainty was her birth father.

This would be the first time Sloan and Makue would see each other face to face…

The chat didn’t last long; a few minutes into the call, Makue excused himself. Desiree later shared that Makue had gone into the other room and cried; that he had always wanted children but he and his wife, Marie, had not been able to have them; and that he had wished he’d known that Tanya had been born.”

In December of that year the Sloan family — Tanya, husband Scott, daughter Mackinley and son Matthew— boarded a plane in Raleigh, North Carolina, bound for Honolulu.

The family reunion was everything Sloan and Makue hoped for. For Sellars, it’s another example of The Salvation Army’s service to people in need: helping find loved ones, repair families and promote healing.|NFC

Social and disaster services in close examination Register now for the

[Salvation] meant not only [being] saved from the miseries of the future world, but from the miseries of this [world] also.’ —WILLIAM BOOTH

National Social Services and Disaster Management Conference

BY JAMES READ, Ph.D. According to Forbes, The Salvation Army in the U.S. received more donations than any other charity except United Way in 2013. In Canada, The Salvation Army proudly announces that it is the single largest private provider of social services in the country. Similar stories could be told elsewhere in the “more developed world.” Salvation Army social services are big.

But big or small, we should want to know why they exist at all. What values root Salvation Army social services?

What aspirations move them forward?

Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. I think that applies to organizations as well as individuals. There is no reason to be big if you don’t stand for something.

In Origins of the Salvation Army, historian Norman Murdoch made waves by claiming that social services work was first taken up primarily as a tactic for organizational survival. “It was the Army’s failure to grow as a revivalist sect…that turned it in the direction of social service,” he wrote.

Read the full article on the history of social services in The Salvation Army in the upcoming spring issue of Caring.

See more at caringmagazine.org.

For more about the conference and to register visit nssdmc.org.

Other historians have disagreed.

In their book Boundless Salvation: The Shorter Writings of William Booth, Andrew Eason and Roger Green show that the first social services actually started before The Salvation Army changed its name from the Christian Mission.

“While the chief object and aim of the Christian Mission is to bring sinners to Jesus,” one of the Missioners said, “we feel it a duty and a privilege to minister to the bodily wants of the [poor].”

What really caused The Salvation Army’s social services to swamp the efforts of thousands of other well-meaning Christian charities in late-19th century England was two-fold, according to Green. First, the organizational capacity shown by Salvation Army “pilot projects” proved that it could deliver if entrusted with a bigger task. Second, was the emergence of a theology that refused to separate welfare of an eternal soul from that soul’s temporal well-being. To be concerned about whether

someone would get to Heaven, you had to be concerned about how they fared in this world. In a breakthrough article published in 1889, William Booth said, “[Salvation] meant not only [being] saved from the miseries of the future world, but from the miseries of this [world] also.”

I like the way Professor Ed McKinley put it. In his history of The Salvation Army in the U.S., he said, “it was inevitable that an organization…propagating a gospel of universal love…would be drawn to recognize one supreme fact: there is no true religion that is not acted out in compassion…The gospel message must be accompanied by expressions of love so unmistakable that no potential convert could miss them; then only would the good news of God’s grace seem real….It was only half enough to declare that God is love: The Salvation Army would show that He was.”|NFC

Page 20—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 21

THE WAY WE MOVE

In what may be the largest collection of its kind online, The Salvation Army Germany and Lithuania Territory has pinned more than 200 images featuring the transportation methods of The Salvation Army. See more at bit.ly/tsamoves.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT In 1945, “flying priest” Captain Vic Pedersen puts the first aircraft to use for the service of The Salvation Army in the Havilland Tiger Moth biplane.

The Air Force delivers an Emergency Disaster Services Canteen in response to the Rapid City, S.D., flood in June, 1972.

A policeman on horseback stops by a Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services canteen in New York (circa 1960s).

Barmstedter Bicycle Brigade around the turn of the 20th century.

A mobile canteen of The Salvation Army in New York is loaded from a helicopter.

On the way to summer camp from New York City (circa 1970).

From a horse-drawn carriage, The Salvation Army in the Greater New York Division gives out coal during the winter to those in need (circa 1910).

Page 22—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

USA WEST NEWS BRIEFS ALASKA

Taking a plunge for the community

Lt. Jeff Josephson, Homer corps officer, and Captain Rio Ray, Alaska divisional youth and candidates’ secretary, traveled in mid-January to Seward for the Polar Bear Plunge, where individuals dive into the freezing water of Resurrection Bay and swim to the dock ladder.

The Salvation Army supports this annual event by serving hot chocolate, coffee and doughnuts to participants and spectators.

This year, Josephson and Ray, caught up in the excitement of the moment, left the safety of the sidelines, descended to the dock and jumped into the bay in uniform.

“As I walked to the dock wearing only my fatigues I thought I couldn’t be much colder,” Ray said. “The wind was howling, a steady rain had soaked us to the bone, and my socks were freezing to the dock. A few moments later I realized that there was a whole level of cold that I’d never experienced.”

The cheering crowd was thrilled with their display of solidarity.

“We ascended the small steps, faithfully saluted and then jumped in,” Ray said.

“Once your body hits such cold water it goes into survival mode—you swim faster than you ever have before as your limbs become numb. It was a unique way to promote the good work of The Salvation Army.”

Center in Salem, Ore., with over 30 health vendors. The event included free admission to the Kroc Center for the day.

“The Kroc Health Fair is designed to provide people access to resources that otherwise may not be available and at the same time see how the Kroc Center can play a role in supporting their health and wellness goals,” said Kendall Reid, director of operations.

Health services included diabetes, hearing, vision and glaucoma screenings along with blood pressure checks. Walgreens supplied 104 flu shots. Ann Kehoe, store manager and community leader with Walgreens, brought pharmacy students from nearby Oregon State University to help. “The students look forward to this event each year because they know that they will get a lot of good hands-on experience administering vaccines,” she said. “It is by far the biggest and best attended health fair we participate in.”

With a special no registration fee offer, nearly 500 people became new Kroc Center members.

DEL ORO

Sacramento starts peanut butter drive

The Sacramento Citadel Corps, led by Captains David and Erin Kauffman, celebrated National Peanut Butter Day by launching the “Spread the Love” campaign. The fundraiser runs through Feb. 14 with a goal of raising $11,000 to buy 6,500 jars of peanut butter. An affordable source of protein, the jars will be added to food boxes given to low-income families in the city this year.

GOLDEN STATE

FlexScore authors support Army

Jason Gordo and Jeff Burrow, authors of “FlexScore: Financial Advice For The Rest Of Us,” partnered with the Golden State Division to donate proceeds made from their book to The Salvation Army.

The book is a financial tool for individuals on how to regain control of one’s finances.

Each corps in the division will receive books to sell, and will be able to keep the proceeds to benefit programs, activities or other corps needs.

Salvation Army leads the way at the Kake Day Parade

Kake Corps Officer Lt. Mike Evans led the Kake Day Parade Jan. 8 after residents requested that The Salvation Army Kake Drum lead the parade.

The annual event commemorates the incorporation of the village as a first-class city in 1912; it was the first Native village to organize under Federal law, resulting in U.S. citizenship for community residents.

Later that night, the people of Kake recognized the service of all its churches and the rich heritage of The Salvation Army in the community. This is the 110th year of Salvation Army presence in Kake, the oldest of the active corps in Alaska. It will host the Army’s Alaska Congress April 3-5.

CASCADE

Los Banos becomes a corps

After 11 years of Salvation Army service in the community of Los Banos, Calif., the Los Banos Outpost officially became a corps in January.

Golden State divisional leaders Lt. Colonels Stephen and Marcia Smith dedicated the new corps, and Western Territory Chief Secretary Colonel David Hudson presented Los Banos Corps Officer Lt. Felicia Grant with the corps’ flag. The Fresno Citadel band provided music for the dedication ceremony, and pastor Joe Roberts gave his testimony.

“This really can’t do anything but help the community more,” Roberts said. “We’re the first line of defense in Los Banos.”

At Johansen High School participants could run or walk a 5K or 10K. Proceeds were divided equally between the organizations Majors Kyle and Martha Trimmer are the Modesto Citadel corps officers.

HAWAIIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDS

Play60 participants attend Pro Bowl

The Sheraton Hotel of Waikiki sponsored 50 tickets to the NFL Pro Bowl for kids who attended The Salvation Army’s Play60 event. Some of the kids even got to stand on the sidelines with the players.

INTERMOUNTAIN

Donated dolls

Bernice Beauchene, 92, donated 20 dolls that she collected and made clothing for to The Salvation Army El Paso County Coordination. At one time, Beauchene ran a corps in Alaska and worked with many Native Americans there. She made dolls for the Army to sell there, and recently discovered these dolls in a box.

For 70 years, Beauchene has participated in and supported The Salvation Army.

She said her secret to life is to “Be a servant. Jesus came to serve, so should we.”

More than 1,500 people attended the third annual free health fair at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community

The Salvation Army and Interfaith Ministries in Modesto, Calif., hosted a Revolution Run Feb. 15 for the community to raise money for both organizations’ food pantries due to post-holiday season food shortages.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Outreach begins to Cambodian community

NORTHWEST

The Long Beach Citadel Corps, led by Captains Moy and Erika Hernandez, began an outreach effort into the local Cambodian community.

Nearly 20,000 people of Cambodian descent live in Long Beach—the second largest population of Cambodian immigrants outside of Southeast Asia following Paris.

After identifying 10 local Christian Cambodian churches, the Hernandezes made contact to see how the Army can better serve the congregations and community.

“We’re trying to be intentional about the way we’re doing ministry...There’s a whole chunk of people we’re not reaching out to and we want to see the possibilities of where we can go with that,” Moy Hernandez said. “We’re trying to get a foot in the door.”

Walla Walla opens new food bank

Soldier training to empower

The Salvation Army hosted a ribbon cutting and dedication of its new outpost building in Walla Walla, Wash., Jan. 18.

The new building houses a larger food bank and social services offices.

“We’ve basically doubled the size of the food bank,” said Major Doug Tollerud, Northwest divisional commander. “We can serve more members of the community, and give them a better experience.”

The current food bank serves 628 families each month, and Majors Kin and Debra Dove, officers in-charge, expect to see that number grow by up to 20 percent as qualifying families from the county depend on The Salvation Army to help put healthy food on the table.

“The outstanding craftsmanship ensures that The Salvation Army will use the building to serve the community for many decades to come,” Kin Dove said.

SIERRA DEL MAR

Resolution Run for Modesto Salem Kroc Center holds third annual health fair

was in and out of the justice system.”

Brian was a product of his environment: a father who was gone most of the time and a mother who drank to fight the loneliness. When Brian finally hit rock bottom, he ended up arrested and seriously injured.

Recovery took time, and he suffered some long-term health repercussions, including the loss of lung tissue. Now in his 50s, Brian found it hard to compete with younger workers for the physically demanding labor jobs he used to do. Unable to find employment, he eventually became homeless.

At first, Brian came to The Salvation Army for hot meals. Inspired, he became a Salvation Army bell ringer during the holidays. He made a good impression on the staff and was recently offered the opportunity to work in the Centre City Corps in downtown San Diego. Now, he’s responsible for ordering food and supplies, and for preparing hundreds of meals for hungry people each week.

He said, “I’m so thankful to The Salvation Army for giving me a second chance.”

Recovering through the kitchen

“I started drinking early,” Brian said. “I

A divisional leadership development and training seminar Feb. 22 at the Santa Ana Corps includes training for corps soldiers and local officer leaders. Class topics cover women’s ministries, men’s ministries, community care ministries, discipleship, and a Myers Briggs personality inventory. Simultaneously, a youth music morning will be conducted by the music department.

“Making space in our lives to worship Christ together and be trained and educated in ministry skills and new ideas helps us reach our goal of effectiveness and excellence in our service to him,” said Major Lisa Smith, divisional secretary for program. “Jesus deserves our best and his spirit will fill us, empowering us to serve him.”

SOUTHWEST

Clovis Corps offers rent and utility bill assistance

Residents in Clovis, N.M., needing financial assistance to pay utility bills or rent can now turn to The Salvation Army for help.

The Clovis Corps, led by Majors James and Rachel Gallop, is offering to pay New Mexico Gas Company and limited Xcel Energy bills for residents provided they present the required paperwork. Rental assistance is also offered, but applicants must meet need requirements and landlords must approve.

MORE BRIEFS PAGE 23

February 2014 • New Frontier CHRONICLE—Page 23

PROMOTED TO GLORY MAJOR VERA ELLIOTT was promoted to Glory

Jan. 10 from hospice care in Sun City, Ariz.

Born Aug. 16, 1920, in Ontario, Canada, to Salvationist parents Herbert and Gertrude Faulkner, Vera grew up in the London Citadel Corps. She and sister Shirley were often asked to join their parents in providing vocal numbers during the Sunday services. Vera served as Girl Guard leader for many years of one of the largest troops in the Ontario Great Lakes Division.

Vera met Clarence Elliott in the corps, and the two were married May 15, 1940. Soon after, Clancy served seven years overseas as a paratrooper in the Canadian and British forces. The pursuit of em-

ployment later took the Elliotts and their children, Bonnie and Brian, to Elgin, Ill., where Vera worked for D.C. Cooke Publishing Company. The family then moved to Pasadena, Calif., and the Elliots became Auxiliary Captains—among the first in the Western Territory.

On Sept. 21, 1961, they took their first appointment as corps officers in Chula Vista, Calif. Three years later they transferred to Lancaster, a stay of seven years. June 1970 the Elliotts moved to Burbank, Calif., where Vera was honored as Woman of the Year in 1972. She was also elected chaplain of the Mira Loma Auxiliary and contributed a monthly article in the patients’ newspaper. In June 1974

the Elliotts were appointed to San Bernardino, Calif., where Vera held a weekly Home League and Senior Club of 80 or more people, one of the largest in the division.

The Elliots retired in 1983 from Medford, Ore. Vera is survived by her son, Brian (Audrey), Major Joyce Stevenson, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great, great grandchild. She was preceded in death by her daughter Bonnie (1990) and husband Clancy (1994).

A memorial and committal service was held Feb. 8 at the Sun Cities West Valley Corps in Surprise, Ariz. Commissioner Kurt Burger officiated and Lt. Colonel Alfred Van Cleef led the committal. |NFC

MORE BRIEFS FROM PAGE 23 Las Vegas Citadel kids visit museum

Over 200 community children from Marion Earl Elementary School, The Shade Tree Shelter, St. Jude’s Ranch and The Salvation Army in Las Vegas visited the Discovery Children’s Museum.

They participated in numerous educational activities including hurricane simulations and exhibits of nature and science.

Lts. Larry and Joy Groenleer are the Las

Vegas Citadel corps officers.

CONCORD, CALIF. CORPS • DEL ORO DIVISION

DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH & MUSICAL ARTS MINISTRIES Passionate for the Creative Arts? Possess the gifts necessary to design/implement community music programs for children & youth? Enjoy working with Small Group Ministries? Looking for an opportunity to really make a difference? Then the Director of Outreach & Musical Arts Ministries is for YOU! Qualifications for this position will include: -Bachelors degree in Music or it’s equivalent life experience -Salvationist with a passion to work with people of all ages -Well organized individual who can both “grow” and lead a community based program -Good working knowledge of both “contemporary” Christian Music and “traditional Army brass banding Salary: Commensurate with experience/qualifications For Further information contact: Major Glen Madsen 3950 Clayton Road, Concord , Ca 94521

ARMY WORLD

Page 24—New Frontier CHRONICLE •February 2014

CommiSSioninG weeKend Special Guests: General Paul Rader (R) & Commissioner Kay Rader June 13-15, 2014 | Pasadena Convention Center Friday June 13 10:30 am CommenCement (CFot) 12:00 pm Silver Star Banquet (CFot) 7:00 pm Amy GRAnt in ConCeRt

FridAy, June 13, 2014 @ 7PM PAsAdenA ciVic AudiToriuM TickeTs: ViP - $50 Preferred - $25 General Admission - $15 USA Western Territory

VisiT www.uswevents.org

Saturday June 14 8:30 am Future officers Fellowship Breakfast 8:30 am Recovery Breakfast 8:45 am Spanish Seminars through 4:00 Pm 9:00 am enCoRe! 12:00 pm Long Service Lunch 12:00 pm nSe Reunion Lunch 2:00 pm Bible Bowl Round 3:15 pm BiBLe BowL ChAmPionShiP and enCoRe! AwARdS 4:00 pm hall of Faith – Reception 6:30 pm the PAth oF the CRoSS Sunday June 15 9:00 am Sunday School Assembly 10:00 am CommiSSioninG & oRdinAtion 12:00 pm Commissioning Lunch 3:00 pm SeRviCe oF APPointmentS

www.uswevents.org USA western territory