COVID | 19 Stories of Hope

HOPE 19

STORIES

OF COVID

The Salvation Army, USA Eastern Territory

Commissioners William A. and G. Lorraine Bamford Territorial Leaders

COVID |19 Stories of Hope

Edited by Warren L. Maye

Copyright © 2022 The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without written permission of the publisher.

For information, write: The Salvation Army Communications Department USA Eastern Territory 440 West Nyack Road West Nyack, N.Y. 10994

Design and layout by USA East Communications Department Cover Design by David Hulteen Jr.

ISBN: 978-0-89216-000-6

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Letter from Commissioners Bill and Lorraine Bamford, Territorial Leaders

“What shook the Army also shaped its future.”

1. Through a looking glass p. 3

2. Comparing the pandemics p. 4

3. A militar y, medical, and missional presence p. 6

4. Help from the sky p. 9

5. In Puer to Rico, disaster recovery continues p. 10

6. Revealing a hope diamond p. 13

7. A sign of hope p. 16

8. Women’s Auxiliary donates 1,000 masks p. 19

9. A spiritual renaissance p. 20

10. Smiles keep her going p. 22

11. Finding HOPE on the line p. 25

12. The HOPEline p. 32

13. Faith through COVID p. 37

14. Summer camp in a box p. 40

15. Full Zoom ahead p. 43

16. Reports from the field p. 46

17. 76ers with the assist p. 51

18. Inmates donate to fight COVID-19 p. 52

19. Zooming ahead in USA East p. 55

Writer biographies p. 58

USA EASTERN TERRITORY

The poignant memories of the impact of the COVID pandemic on each of our personal lives will remain with us in the years to come. The realities of masks, isolation, uncertainty, and even fear hit our world in a way that most of us have never experienced before.

In this publication we endeavor to capture those memories, express our gratitude to those who have faithfully served, acknowledge those who have given practical support, and honor those whom we have lost during the COVID-19 scourge.

We give special recognition to those who have given so much and even experienced personal risk in order to serve others. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Christ in a hurting world.

As you view these photos and read the accounts, we pray that your own story would be joined with those expressed in these pages, offering you a time of reflection, healing and even a measure of peace.

“

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

—1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV

In His service,

Commissioners Bill and Lorraine Bamford

Territorial Leaders, USA Eastern Territory

“What shook the Army also

The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory’s response to COVID–19 is chronicled and graphically illustrated within the pages of this carefully crafted picture book. Through heartfelt stories and revealing images of the pandemic as it wreaked havoc along the east coast, readers will glimpse its shocking effects.

shaped its future.”

—General John Larsson

(17 th international leader of The Salvation Army)

The Army’s courageous efforts in urban, suburban, and rural communities are represented by personal testimonies from people who were served, and the accounts of others who served them, such as emotional and spiritual care counselors, medical personnel, volunteers, donors, as well as many Salvation Army officers and soldiers.

You’ll see how, despite the pandemic’s reach, it was no match for the Eastern Territory, whose roots are deeply and solidly embedded in the Army’s legacy of service to humankind, particularly during the worst of times. From the flu pandemic of 1918 to the Great Depression of 1929, to the events of 9/11, to today’s pandemic, the Eastern Territory has repeatedly met the challenge to reinvent itself, thrive, and effectively serve people in need.

We hope you will receive COVID |19Storiesof Hope as a gift and a token of our appreciation for the important contributions you have made to the Army’s ministry during this time.

In 2020, the crisis began as what seemed to be a West Coast disaster. But it shifted almost overnight to the USA Eastern Territory, which became the hottest spot in the country for what is now known as the COVID–19 Pandemic. New York City alone had carried the highest number of confirmed cases, rates of infection, and deaths nationwide.

number

days,

—Psalm 90:12

“Teach us to

our

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Through a looking glass

by Warren L. Maye

Unbridled like a raging bull in a china shop, COVID–19 seemingly kicks, stomps, and shatters lives at every turn. However, in many hospitals across the country, real glass is an effective barrier against the virus. In the case of Dr. Timothy E. Raymond, the glass windows of patients’ rooms can also serve as memo pads.

“Respiratory therapists and nurses will often write messages on the window of the patient’s room to communicate information to members of the care team so as to avoid unnecessary traffic in and out of the room of a COVID patient,” says the 36–year–old advanced heart failure cardiologist. “For example, one respiratory therapist wrote ventilator and ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation machine) parameters for me on the window so I didn’t have to go in,” he says.

“I’ve been involved with a fair amount of COVID patients recently,” Raymond says. “The people who are the most involved across the country are without a doubt the pulmonary critical care doctors, the infectious disease doctors, and the emergency physicians. My role is to assist those doctors if there is a cardiac component and oftentimes there is.”

When that’s the case, Raymond is either primarily responsible for the care of such patients or is helping to manage their procedures and medication lists. “Most of my practice deals with people with weak hearts who may need transplant or advanced therapies, such as a mechanical heart pump surgically installed,” he says.

“I’ll do a week where I’m in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). My work could be as simple as trying to lower someone’s blood pressure or it could be as complicated as trying to start another person’s heart beating again. It’s a wide spectrum,” says Raymond.

Motivated to serve

Raymond is motivated to help patients who’ve been ill for a while and are struggling to survive. He has a passion to find those write–on–the–window moments that solve big problems with ingenuity rather than costly technology. “I like being challenged to try to figure out a way to get patients feeling better and to use my expertise and my training, whether it’s simply changing their medical regimen or seeing if they qualify for or need something like a transplant or an assist device.”

Raymond says fewer cases are showing up in Ohio than were previously recorded. Over the past month, there has been a steady decline at The Christ Hospital, in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he currently practices. He and other doctors are also encouraged by the new cutting–edge technologies that promise to shatter the COVID–19 ceiling. “I’m motivated to continue to learn about the virus with respect to medication regimens and to participate in research that will really help people,” he says.

Clinical trials are going on at The Christ Hospital where doctors are administering plasma to patients

from people who had COVID–19 and now possess antibodies. “That’s kind of exciting,” Raymond says. Raymond, who was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, says his patients share a variety of opinions about the pandemic and what it means. From Ohio’s border with Kentucky to communities in the inner city of Cincinnati, he hears a common thread that deeply concerns him.

Trusting God

“America is living in fear and it’s a dangerous thing. As Christians, that’s not how we’re called to live. We have to be cautious and careful and respectful, particularly with those people who are at much higher risk. We’re not supposed to be a fearful people,” Raymond says.

As a husband and father of three, Raymond relies on Scripture to answer life’s perplexing questions. “I love Proverbs 3:5, ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.’

“My role is not to understand why God is doing things. My interpretation of what He’s doing is flawed with so many inadequacies. So, I try to focus on helping people with what I can do and what I can control.”

Raymond, who comes from a family of doctors, also enjoys participating in medical missions work in Honduras with The Salvation Army and his dad, Dr. Russ Raymond.

Comparing the pandemics

by Warren L. Maye

While researching Salvation Army medical facilities and services around the world for chapters in John Merritt’s Dictionary of the Salvation Army, Dr. Herb Rader discovered that during the “Spanish” Influenza pandemic of 1918-19, two Salvation Army corps – in Roxbury Mass., and Charleston, W.Va. – were reconfigured to accommodate flu patients.

“These corps were transformed into full–fledged hospitals, with full medical staffs, that functioned for approximately ten years until 1928. Fire and flood have destroyed most records, but I have copies of the annual reports and medical staff directories,” he says.

During WWI, in addition to the Army’s legendary ministry in the trenches, it also fielded 100 ambulances to the battlefields of France in 1917 to transport the wounded of both sides of the conflict, with the written blessing of General John Pershing.

That pandemic was responsible for at least 50 million deaths worldwide, with about 675,000 occurring in the United States. “That is probably the closest thing

that I am aware of to what we are now experiencing with COVID–19,” Rader says. In both instances, and in many other disasters in between, the Army has become involved – from a devastating earthquake in Peru in 1970 to the more recent earthquake in Haiti, in January 2010.

Rader, a retired general surgeon, who held senior positions in the Army’s oldest medical institution for 12 years, saw outbreaks of many infectious diseases, from tuberculosis, to typhoid fever, to Rotavirus-caused diarrhea that was often fatal in young children.

“In the U.S., we have struggled through MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (“Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and the H1NI Swine Flu, but I don’t think we have seen anything like the current coronavirus pandemic that has essentially closed down the economies of 184 countries and caused tens of thousands of deaths.”

Despite the limitations imposed by CDC guidelines designed to limit the spread, the Army everywhere has

been working hard to meet the needs of individuals who have lost jobs and income.

Rader, who has been medical director at a number of New York hospitals, now works only part time, but remains privy to daily discussions about the progress of the pandemic. Many now believe that the tide is turning, and this infection will join influenza and tuberculosis as serious but contained public health problems.

When asked what the Bible teaches about such situations, Rader says, “the whole Bible assures us that God is sovereign, and at work to overcome the effect of human sin and to reclaim his creation. Our mission is to become effective instruments that God can use to accomplish His purposes.”

Dr. Rader and his wife, Lois, worship at the Hempstead Citadel Corps in N.Y., where services are now live-streamed to its home-bound congregation. “We are confident that the doors of the corps and the businesses of our country will be opened soon. They are praying that the current civic unrest will not unduly delay that day,” he says.

The conditional promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 remains true and relevant: “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Lt. Colonel Herbert C. Rader (R), MD, FACS, is the USA Eastern Territorial Medical Consultant

A military, medical, and missional presence

by Warren L. Maye

Warfare is what soldiers train for in the U.S. Army Reserve. “I was a reservist while I was in medical school,” says Major (Dr.) Cindy Lou Drummond, the New Jersey Division’s general secretary. “One of the courses that I took was about biological warfare.” What she learned astonished her.

Alluding to today’s COVID–19 pandemic, she says, “I can see the possibility of biological warfare looking similar to this pandemic and our need to prepare for it. This is not like a storm that hit just the

Jersey coast or an earthquake or a tornado; this is a pandemic that’s affecting the entire world. So, this is requiring a mindset that says, ‘This isn’t just my community, it is everyone.’“

In the early 80s, Drummond did her residency in Michigan as a family practitioner. “The AIDS epidemic happened during that time. Today, I fear that every person who tests positive for COVID–19 will be treated like the people who tested positive for HIV. There’s a real danger that once people

are labeled in this way, others will begin to treat them as lepers. Sadly, we experienced a lot of that in the 80s because people didn’t understand HIV transmission.”

Taking care of families

Drummond’s career as a family medicine specialist has spanned 34 years. The daughter of Salvation Army officers, she graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1986 and became a Salvation Army officer in 2005. She takes today’s pandemic seriously, having served for two weeks in Port–au–Prince, Haiti, after a massive 7.0 earthquake devastated the Caribbean nation. She also served for six months in Zimbabwe, Africa, at a rural district hospital in Harare.

“I have my elderly parents living with me. They are staying home and keeping safe. I’ve been going to the office lately, but almost everyone is working remotely, and that’s good. We are still supporting the field, and I wish I could be out there with them, but I’m not always able to do that.”

Drummond says a few COVID–19 cases have been diagnosed among officers and soldiers in New Jersey. “On occasion, I have been on the phone talking to them about their symptoms and encouraging them to get help. One of our people went to the hospital and was turned away. But when the person got even sicker, I said, ‘You must go and get tested because I think you really have it.’”

Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, policies, and procedures are new, Drummond says she and her staff stay on top of them. “What do you do when someone in your community or your corps is diagnosed with the virus? What do you do?”

So far, they’ve made sure there’s a protocol to notify appropriate contacts and to follow the strict precautions. “Hopefully, our guidance is helpful to the corps, to the corps officers, and the department heads so that they’ll all be safe,” Drummond says.

“I have to hand it to the officers in the New Jersey Division; they have been so resourceful,” says Drummond. “They’ve taken to FaceTime, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams to conduct weekly visitations.” On Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m., Drummond and her family spend 1/2 an hour together with their corps officer via facetime. “We talk and pray. It’s a wonderful way of ministry.”

Her corps officers have also gone door–to–door taking food, paper towels, and hand sanitizer, leaving these items on doorsteps. “They go above and

beyond to make sure that the care and compassion they offer is equal to or better than what we would typically receive if we were able to be together.”

A mindset for ministry

“I think our Jersey officers have the kind of mindset we have to have with COVID–19. We cannot see it, so we have to be able to use precautions without marginalizing people. That’s the fine line that we have. The media says we are ‘fighting an invisible enemy,’ which is so spiritual in its context. We’re not doing this battle with guns or swords; we’re doing it just by our living.”

“Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

The pandemic opened the eyes of the Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) personnel. While burning the candle nightly at both ends,

Help from the sky

by Eileen Lippman

With a thousand boxes of food leaving the Salvation Army’s Lebanon, Pa., Corps warehouse five days a week, Lieutenants Marlon and Ivonne Rodriguez desperately needed help with assembling and packing them.

The warehouse serves as a food distribution center for 11 Salvation Army corps. Staffers come and pick up food to give out in their local area.

“We were in great need of volunteers to help assemble boxes and pack food. We have 1,200 boxes going out each weekday. We did not have the manpower to get that done,” Marlon said.

When leaders from the Civil Air Patrol called and offered their services, the lieutenants didn’t know what to expect.

“We didn’t know the amount of help they could give,” Marlon said. “We were expecting maybe two or three people. When they arrived for the first time with a group of about 25 young people, all dressed in their military uniforms, and wearing masks, they were ready to go. They said, ‘You just tell us what to do.’”

Marlon marveled at how quickly the group worked. “What we were doing in four hours, these kids did in an hour and a half. We could not have done it without them. They were so organized and ready for the task,” he said.

Ivonne added, “We were impressed. They were doing it so fast. It is a blessing. I love it.”

Bill Bishop, the volunteer coordinator of the food distribution, agrees. “Today, they stacked the pallets and cleaned the entire building, and got everything ready for tomorrow. Anything we need, they do. They are doing a great job,” he said.

The cadets, who range in age from 12 to 18, are coming from Civil Air Patrol squadrons based in Lebanon, Harrisburg, Reading, and York. The Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a public service organization that carries out emergency service missions when needed. Its cadet program aims to transform youth into leaders through a curriculum that focuses on leadership, aerospace, fitness, and character.

Marlon said the cadets are organized and work together to get the job done.

“They come one day and assemble the boxes,” he said. “They have two assembly lines. One cadet gets the box, the next cadet turns it over, and so on down the line until the box is put together and ready to go. Then the next day, they come back and pack the food into the boxes.”

Marlon shared some insight into what motivates the young people to continue volunteering for this arduous task.

“These kids have been quarantined in their homes all this time,” he said. “They were supposed to be in the Memorial Day Parade, but that was canceled.

They want to go out and help. The Salvation Army is providing the venue for them to safely work and contribute, six feet apart with masks on.

“Every day, my wife and a volunteer have been making home-cooked meals for them. The squadron leaders thank us each day for the hospitality. They are grateful.”

“They’ve given us their time,” Ivonne added. “They need to eat lunch. I try to make it fresh and healthy so everyone can enjoy it. We’ve been making pasta, sandwiches, and empanadas to give them a little taste of Spanish food. They loved the empanadas.”

Lieutenant Andy Harner, the Civil Air Patrol officer who is coordinating the volunteer effort, remarked, “These cadets are amazing. They are happy and eager to help, especially now when they have been stuck in the house for the last two months. Some of the kids are driving from York to The Salvation Army Lebanon Corps for two hours of work.”

Harner said so many cadets had signed up to help that he had to turn some away.

Ivonne’s delicious home-cooked meals were a topic of conversation recently during the cadets’ virtual meeting with their senior officer .

“The kids said the food is really good. They were joking that I missed out on the ribs and potatoes the other day at The Salvation Army,” Harner said good-naturedly.

In Puerto Rico, disaster recovery continues

by Hugo Bravo

In the fall of 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico. They caused over $90 billion in damages and became the worst natural disasters in the island’s history. Almost two years later, the recovery is far from done. Thousands of houses have blue tarps covering the roofs, which means that there are still families waiting for repairs promised by government officials.

COVID-19 has given the The Salvation Army’s hurricane recovery effort a new look. Helpers now come wearing masks, gloves, and are social distancing. Their service to Puerto Rico is as strong as ever.

Adapting and serving

“Even before COVID–19, The Salvation Army reached out to parts of Puerto Rico that no other agencies had visited, such as towns in the mountains where people must travel on foot,” says Major Juan Mercado, divisional commander of the Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands Division. “But during COVID, the church has become more public than ever before. We’re helping in ways that many of us never imagined.”

Nichole Roy, Long Term Recovery Project coordinator, says, “In the last few months, our ratio of volunteers has gone up. We have more people actively looking for help. It’s our job to plan better, think outside the box, and see how we can work to assure the safety of our staff as well as the people we help. But learning new ways to adapt is what our teams do best.”

Major Mercado says that COVID–19 has made new interactions with the community possible. For example, in Arecibo, the police show up to help distribute food faster, and at the same time, keep order if things get too busy.

“Doing all-virtual prayer meetings has made it possible to reach out to new people,” says Mercado. He remembers a woman who reached out to The Salvation Army in Puerto Rico through Facebook. She feared COVID–19 had infected her and she asked for prayer.

“Thankfully, her tests were negative, but she was grateful for the members of our ministry who reached out and comforted her when she needed it,” says Mercado.

Says Roy, “When people have the least amount of hope, that is when The Salvation Army and our volunteers work the hardest. They know the difference their work makes in their own lives and in the lives of the people they help.”

FEMA and solar panels

The Salvation Army received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue to help Puerto Rico in its recovery effort. The Army’s House to Homes program was able to allocate these funds for supplies and pay staff to provide community services.

“The grant was instrumental in hiring case managers, counselors, and therapists, along with getting

phones and computers for them,” says Roy. “With the staff being paid through the grant, The Salvation Army can put any money they have directly into helping people. They give the community food and even replace objects that they may have lost in the storms, such as furniture, modern necessities like solar panels for their homes.”

“Solar panels are a big part of what we supply now,” says Mercado. “People who have long-term illnesses may need energy for a fridge that keeps their medicines cold or keeps a machine running because it helps them breathe. They can’t survive if their homes don’t have some sort of power. With solar panels, they can live better than before, and come closer to being self-sufficient.”

“Just like the tables and cabinets we provide for a home, those solar panels come directly from Puerto Rico. We don’t import them,” says Roy. “We help the local businesses and put money back into the economy of the island. Our orders will create jobs, from the engineers making the solar panels to the deliverymen bringing them to us.”

Spiritual and mental health

Mercado says faith has carried the hopes of the people of Puerto Rico. COVID-19, as did the hurricanes, has put everyone on a level playing field when it comes to recovery.

“When the hurricanes hit, there were people living in high-rise apartments and new houses who were

sitting and eating next to the poorest members of our ministry,” says Mercado. “There is power in that type of community, and in that type of help we provide for each other.”

As part of his outreach ministry, Mercado also encourages people to seek help. Spiritual help is important, he says, and so is mental help, which is critical after years of loss, pain, and worry.

“There is a terrible stigma of being too afraid to say that you’re not handling a situation as well as you might want,” says Mercado. “This attitude is affecting everyone, even our spiritual leaders. Post–Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and its triggers are real.

“Believe in God’s promises and seek Him, but also believe in His people and seek the help you may need from them.”

CDC guidelines eventually necessitated the closure of all Salvation Army churches and the lockdown of its Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARC), elder care centers, and recreational facilities. Nonetheless, there emerged pockets of workers who said, “I’m staying with them. I’m not leaving.” Those statements came from the lips of courageous social workers who were responsible for developmentally challenged beneficiaries under their care.

Knowing that these people would have no one to comfort them, the workers stayed at their side and endured the lockdown together. Hours became days, and days turned to weeks, but the workers remained on site. Such acts of love and concern also occurred at many ARCs.

Revealing a hope diamond

by Retta Blaney

April 4 was to have been the grand opening celebration for EastView Independent Senior Living Complex, The Salvation Army’s latest venture in “doing the most good.” This nearly $80 million state–of–the–art building in East Harlem combines an upscale senior residence with the Manhattan Citadel and its corps community center, the first such partnership in the territory. Ten years in the planning, it is the Army’s most ambitious project since Evangeline Booth opened the organization’s Greater New York headquarters on 14th Street more than 100 years ago.

However, when the coronavirus pandemic swept into New York City, the Army postponed those festivities indefinitely. Also curtailed was the effort to bring in new residents and the much–needed revenue that would come with them. Access to the building was tightly restricted to protect the health of the elderly residents who had moved to EastView from The Williams Residence, the Salvation Army’s facility on West End Avenue that was closing.

“Timing is everything,” said Major Douglas Bartlebaugh, divisional secretary for business administration. “We just opened our doors to receive new residents and the pandemic hit us. Here we are, four months in our new facility and we are forced to close to new residents. We have this new shiny gem on 125th Street and Third Avenue and no one can see it. It is like having the Hope Diamond locked up in a dark safe for no one to view.”

“To add insult to injury, we were forced to furlough

some employees temporarily to help manage our budget, especially in light of the increased expenses to keep the facility clean and safe,” Bartlebaugh said.

“As of April 30, the operation is running a deficit of over $502,000. Our administration is confident that once we are able to open our doors to receiving new residents, we will be successful in our operation.”

When that will be, though, is unknown. “We need new residents to be able to bring the occupancy rate to the point where we break even for the quality of services we provide,” said Colonel Nestor R. Nuesch, the retired officer hired as a consultant for much of the planning of EastView and the transfer of the 60–some people from The Williams Residence.

The quality service includes breakfast, dinner, weekly housekeeping and linens, activities, and a modern fitness center. Activities have been suspended since mid–March and the gym closed as residents isolate in their apartments. The Sodexo crew, the facilities management company, is cleaning three times a day rather than the usual once. A tremendous amount of extra packaging material has been necessary for residents to take their meals back to their rooms since communal dining, a beloved feature of EastView, is suspended.

“The pandemic affects every aspect of the challenge we face,” Nuesch said.

The costly efforts have paid off. Residents have remained well and have expressed gratitude that all their needs are being met and will continue to be met.

“Our residents are not just guests, they are family,” Bartlebaugh says. “The EastView residence is a living community and we care for each other. Social life is important to many of our residents. The COVID crisis brought many to the point where they did not know what to do with their time. Family could not visit, and they could not meet with their friends. It was decided that we would need to provide some opportunity to keep residents occupied. To take them back in time, we decided to purchase adult coloring books, puzzle books, and other items, which were a hit.”

All these extra expenses have been added to what Nuesch calls the “built–in deficit,” which is addressed through “scholarships” granted, thanks to donations given to residents unable to pay the full cost. He estimates nearly half of the residents are now subsidized.

Reaching

out for support

“We need to inform and educate new funders to help us provide services and scholarships,” Nuesch said, adding that he would like to have financial support to develop endowed scholarships. “We seldom make money in any of our programs. That is why we need support from outside.”

Reaching out to supporters will be coupled with an intense marketing effort to attract new residents able to afford the full fee. Nuesch recognizes the biggest challenge is the neighborhood, which has a reputation for having high crime and many drug treatment programs. He believes the beauty of the

new residence will offset these concerns and points to the community’s rapidly developing economy. A luxury co–op is well under construction right across Third Avenue from EastView and an attractive nine–story office building is planned around the corner on 125th Street.

Nuesch said that many studies and much prayer went into the decision to sell the West End Avenue property and relocate to East Harlem. The 90–year–old Williams Residence, which The Salvation Army bought in the 1960s, needed between $40 million and $50 million to bring it up to standard. The Army already owned the property on 125th Street, where it has operated a corps community center for more than 130 years. With neighborhoods in this vicinity being developed during the past decade, the idea of combining the two programs into one operation began to take shape.

“In essence we were ahead of the curve,” Nuesch said, adding that EastView residents might welcome the opportunity to become involved with the community center by tutoring a child or attending concerts or other programs. “It depends on how you look at it. We have to think in terms of the future and to expect things will improve. I think it’s only a matter of time before we are in sync.”

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

A sign of hope

by Robert Mitchell

The COVID–19 shutdown caused millions of people to lose their jobs, leaving them without money to buy food and other provisions and afraid to even leave their homes. However, in the midst of this crisis The Salvation Army reinvented itself as a food distribution hub in many communities. All over the United States, the Army’s familiar white food boxes emblazoned with the red Salvation Army shield were seemingly everywhere and served as a sign of hope.

“We call them ‘hope boxes.’ We don’t call them food boxes,” said Captain Kevin Johnson, the corps officer in Lynn, Mass., an area hit particularly hard by the virus. “We’re providing hope.”

Necessity is said to be the mother of invention and Salvation Army officers, employees, and volunteers found innovative ways to get those hope boxes into the hands of hungry people—all while wearing masks, socially distancing, and staying safe.

Many Salvation Army facilities offered a “contact–free,” drive–thru pickup option for families. They just drove in, popped the trunk, and watched as staffers lowered the hope boxes into place. Other locations offered curbside pickup as would a local restaurant. In other cities, volunteers placed the boxes on tables and walked away, allowing recipients to get their food without encountering another person.

The Salvation Army also built relationships with food banks and other nonprofits and engaged the help of the National Guard. In some cities, state troopers helped deliver the hope boxes.

Despite this unprecedented challenge to the Army’s human, material, and financial resources, as many as 2,000 officers, both active and retired, their staff, and some volunteers daily put on masks, gloves, and other Personal Protective Equipment and worked like never before.

To combat the uncertainty that came with each day, workers established solid routines, began serving longer hours and more days, as many as

Women’s Auxiliary donates 1,000 masks

by Robert Mitchell

The Salvation Army’s Greater Pittsburgh Women’s Auxiliary saw its popular Fabric Fair canceled this year by COVID-19, but their spirit of giving continued.

The women donated five cases of cotton fabric and elastics, enough to produce 1,000 N-95 masks for employees of Excela Health’s Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg, Pa. The women also made 60 masks for Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARCs) in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Altoona.

“They continue to make masks to be given to corps throughout the division, as well as to our Family Caring Center,” said Major Amy Merchant, the women’s ministries/women’s auxiliary secretary in the Western Pennsylvania Division.

The auxiliary includes 78 Christian women from the Greater Pittsburgh area. Most are in their 60s.

Merchant said the group’s signature event is the annual Fabric Fair, which would have happened for the 33rd straight year. The fair raises $50,000 and helps provide $3,000 grants to all the corps in Allegheny County. The money is used for scholarships to camps such as Star Lake Musicamp, as well as the Territorial Arts Ministry (TAM) Conservatory, and many other ministries.

Merchant said the women have a “passion to give back and find their avenue through The Salvation Army.” They meet each week at the Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) warehouse in Pittsburgh to sort and box items to be sold at the fair.

Merchant normally shares a devotional and the women take prayer requests and pray.

“The ladies love the ministry of The Salvation Army and truly enjoy visiting the various corps to see the good work being done in Allegheny County,” Merchant said. “They’ve done e-mail prayer chains and really felt a spiritual calling, not only to their own churches, but to help alongside The Salvation Army.”

Under normal circumstances, the auxiliary is involved in many activities, including hosting birthday parties for ARC beneficiaries, organizing and assisting in the Christmas toy programs, grading Bible lessons for inmates, making gifts for shut-ins, operating fund-raisers, and providing fellowship for women with a heart for service.

A spiritual renaissance

by Warren L. Maye

Harlem, N.Y., is famous for its history; the social and cultural renaissance of the late 1930s, its role during the civil rights era, and in recent years, its economic boom and gentrification. Since COVID–19 hit the predominately African American community, a spiritual reawakening appears to be happening in the lives of residents who have lived there for generations as well as for newcomers to the area.

“Personally, I think God is giving us a golden opportunity to go back to the basics,” says Lieutenant Chaka Watch, corps officer of the Harlem Temple Corps. “You know how people get very busy with those things that are not really important? We neglect the relationship we’re supposed to have with God. That relationship is what can actually propel us forward to fulfill the other aspects of our lives.

“We are accustomed to going to the restaurants, yet we don’t even pray over the meal. Today, God has closed all of the restaurants. We’ve taken God out of the schools. Today, He has closed the schools. We go to basketball games and all of these things and we even skip church. Today, God has closed the churches and told us we are going to worship in our homes.

“So now, He has taken away everything that is distracting us from another opportunity to revisit our relationship with Him. Everything starts with Him. So, we have an opportunity to reevaluate our living.

Scripture reminds us that ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God,’ (Matt. 4:4).”

Lieutenant Chaka and his wife Lieutenant Emeline Watch are from Zimbabwe. Years ago, when they arrived in the United States, they soldiered at Harlem Temple. Now they are leaders of the corps and are noticing the change in attitude toward God that is taking place as the community struggles to make sense of the pandemic.

Answering the questions

“For example, people ask, ‘There are no funerals, so what do I do? Where is God? What is going on?’ More people are now talking about God. They say, ‘I need you to pray for me,’” says Lieutenant Chaka. “Counseling calls are coming in and we’re calling members of the society. Not only are they church members, but we’re now dealing with everyone else who has issues,” he says. Lieutenant Emeline, who recently earned a PhD degree in leadership, is taking many of those calls.

These conversations have also happened as the Lieutenants Watch and their staff and volunteers distribute food boxes to community members who visit their pantry and receive doorstep deliveries. “We are one of the few if not the only church around here that’s still open,” says Lieutenant Chaka. “When COVID–19

started, people rushed to buy food from the grocery stores. Now that the food is beginning to run out, they know that they can come here to The Salvation Army. We’re giving out food every day and they’re coming. We’re seeing more families coming. The numbers for the food pantry have doubled.”

At this point, the corps is serving approximately 300 meals per day. “That’s a lot because we’re used to serving about half of that. We’re serving about 60 families a day,” he says.

The corps is using funds raised during Christmas time that was designed to sustain it for the whole year. “We are in May and we are running out of money,” he says. “We’re talking to donors and looking for grants to sustain ourselves.”

The good news is that workers are fully equipped and have plenty of masks and sanitizer. Known as a fun–loving personality, Lieutenant Watch nonetheless adheres to Centers of Disease Control guidelines. “Of course, we have to be cautious about the way we are dealing with people every day. Social distancing is one of our priorities. In the midst of all this, we must be very attentive,” he says.

Watch says golden opportunities also loom in the future. “I’ve started to minister on Facebook, and I think it will remain part of our outreach even after COVID–19 is over.”

In strategic areas, food distribution included hot meals, but box distribution averaging about 40,000 a week, was the norm. Each box contained 20 to 25 meals. Distribution varied depending on logistics. Some were drive–up or drive–thru systems at corps facilities. Other deliveries arrived at doorsteps. There were also people who walked up to corps’ front doors and received boxes in hand.

The third method was door–to–door deliveries for the most vulnerable or immobile populations. A rather large network of corps workers from across the territory conducted the home deliveries. The Army also dispensed food boxes to senior centers and multiple apartment units at least once per week.

Smiles keep her going

by Robert Mitchell

Emily Mercado was about to leave for the night when she took one more phone call.

The social ministries coordinator at the Lynn, Mass., Corps, was finishing up another exhausting and emotionally challenging week by helping people find food in the wake of COVID-19. This stressful Friday had begun even before this single mother with three children, had left the house. She was anxious to get home to her family, but when the phone rings, she answers.

The caller was a teacher from the Lynn school district who explained that a student’s family had been adversely affected by the coronavirus. The father of the family was distraught and didn’t know where to turn. His wife and youngest daughter had tested positive for COVID and he had three other children to feed.

Emily wrote down their address, but wondered how she would get the food to the family, given the late hour and the upcoming weekend.

“I talked to the Captains [Helen and Kevin Johnson] and asked, ‘Can I just drop it off?’ They told me I could,” Emily recalls.

Emily drove to the family’s home and dropped off three food boxes. As she left, the kids smiled and waved through a window.

“Ever since COVID-19 started, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster, but just being able to see the smiles and the kids’ faces was amazing,” Emily said. “The father looked at me with tears in his eyes and kept saying, ‘Thank you so much. Thank you so much. God bless you.’ It was touching. It was just really touching for me.

“I was going to go home to my family and be blessed by being able to eat dinner,” she said. “Knowing that there was a family out there in need, I said, ‘Why not drop the food off to them?’ They were so thankful.”

Emily’s motivation is clear—she sees herself in many of the people she helps and can relate to their life challenges. She recently went through a separation and her family was “bouncing from couch to couch.” Raising her oldest child has not always been easy.

“When people come in, I can actually say, ‘I’ve been in your shoes.’ I know what it’s like to have that moment where you don’t know where you’re going to sleep that night. I know what it’s like to be homeless. I know what it’s like to not have food on the table. I know what it’s like to come from a broken home. I know what it’s like not to have Mom and Dad there 24/7. I’ve been there,” Emily said.

“It makes me stronger to help our community and to help families because I know what it’s like not to have that support and not to have those resources. I’ve been blessed here with the Army and with my officers being here and supporting me throughout this whole process. I feel like it’s where I need to be.”

Raised in Chelsea, Mass., Emily became the social ministries coordinator there seven years ago. She moved to Lynn three and a half years ago.

During COVID-19 she packed food boxes, distributed food, and did “a little bit of everything” to help the needy. She posted the following letter on social media after one particularly hard day:

“Today was one of the toughest days since COVID-19 at The Salvation Army. It was an amazing experience how an amazing group of volunteers got together and made it happen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. We wouldn’t be able to do it without your help.

“Seeing how many families in our community are truly struggling to feed their families is very sad, but the most amazing feeling is being able to see a smile on their face receiving the food and just saying ‘thank you’ with tears in their eyes. It was a moment that brought us all together and made us stronger to continue. We are in this together. God is guiding us and giving us the strength daily to provide.”

Captain Helen Johnson said Emily faithfully came to work during the height of COVID-19, all the while concerned she might catch the virus herself.

“With the faith I have in God, I took it day by day,” Emily says. “I took every necessary precaution that I could, knowing that I was going home.

“What motivated me more and more was every day someone would say, ‘Thank you so much for what you do. You just put a plate of food on my table for my family.’”

Before the COVID-10 outbreak, Emily was taking night classes to study social work. She loves the satisfaction of helping someone find an apartment, access to services, and improve their lives.

Finding HOPE on the line

by Robert Mitchell

When most natural disasters strike, The Salvation Army is among the first on the scene with food, water, hugs of support, and spiritual and emotional care.

The Army calls it the “Ministry of Presence” and trains its volunteers to be compassionate listeners and encouragers. But what happens when COVID-19 keeps them from being present?

Officers, retired officers, employees, and volunteers across the United States have joined forces to form The Salvation Army’s Spiritual and Emotional Care Hotline (or HOPEline), which is available from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET at 1-844-458-HOPE. The hotline’s theme is “We’re Here to Listen.”

“This is a very different disaster than any of us have ever experienced and we wanted to be able to offer spiritual and emotional care,” explained Major Jerry Friday, the secretary for Mission, Evangelism & Cultural ministry in USA South. “We had to figure out how to do that virtually because we couldn’t be there to give somebody a bottle of water or a hug or cleaning supplies. We couldn’t be there to pray with them.”

Friday said 89 operators are currently on the schedule to accept calls on their personal phones. That number includes 47 people from USA East.

“When someone calls in, their call is directed to individual cell phones. These people are just there to listen, to offer encouragement, and to pray with the callers,” Friday said.

The hotline averages 20 to 40 calls a day during

the week and 15 to 20 calls on weekends.

Friday said a caller’s ID stays off the operator’s phone. The operator also remains anonymous to the caller.

“It’s all confidential,” Friday said. Friday receives daily reports from the people taking calls.

“Right now, the majority of the individuals who are calling us are senior citizens who are really struggling because the media is telling them that they are at high risk,” Friday said. “Many of them are living in fear and pretty much alone. Their families are not able to come visit them. We have a few senior citizens who are calling every single day or evening.”

Friday took calls himself until stepping back recently to manage the hotline.

“I took calls from single moms who are trying to manage their family, homeschool their children, and try to stay sane,” Friday said. “We offer to pray with anyone who calls and to my knowledge no one has said no.

“I took several calls from individuals who have struggled with addictions in the past and this has pushed them right back to the edge. We’ve had to refer some people to the Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC). The difficult part is many of our centers are closed. We have been able to find a few that would accept a new client and people have gotten on buses and ridden across the country to get into a center.”

A sampling of the reports sent to Friday showed

a wide range of caller concerns, including a man looking to get into an ARC.

“When we finished the conversation, he was crying and said to me that he just needed someone to tell him he was doing the right thing and that he was worth saving,” the man’s operator wrote. “We had a little prayer and I am hoping that he made it to the center.”

A Philadelphia woman called and “just needed someone to listen to her. She has numerous physical challenges and mental health issues,” the report said. The caller is working less and “worried about having enough money to survive, make car payments, and pay her insurance. She admittedly watches too much news and it’s making her more afraid.”

The operator who took her call wrote, “I was able to encourage her regarding all the things that have not been impacted by the virus—God’s position on His throne, the beauty of nature unfolding around us, the sun rising and setting since the first day God commanded it to rise and set. By the end of the call, she was glad she had called, thanked me for my help, and we ended the call with a word of prayer.”

Another woman called who said she had just come home from the grocery store, which she referred to as a “war zone” She had called because she simply “needed someone to talk to.”

Another caller, a woman with a 2-year-old child, was looking for diapers, food, and gasoline assistance.

Friday said, as word has spread about the hotline, many people are calling looking for assistance. The Salvation Army has partnered with social work interns from Fordham University in New York to handle the calls for material assistance.

“That frees up our 89 emotional and spiritual care operators just to take the phone calls from people who are lonely and who are struggling with spiritual and emotional matters and trying to get through this crazy crisis,” Friday said.

“It’s been a learning experience, but every day has been a blessing.”

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Salvation Army’s coordinated counterattack on COVID–19 resulted in the Army providing food to families, and emotional and spiritual care for distressed individuals. Such care was particularly needed to counter what caregivers called “Sundown Syndrome.” As dusk fell and shadows deepened, loneliness intensified for some people who already struggled with COVID’s disturbing effects.

However, a knock on the door, a friendly smile, and a box full of food helped calm racing hearts and worried minds. A ring from a phone and a kind, familiar voice asking, “are you okay?” was enough to provide assurance, at least for the night, that someone cared.

The HOPEline

by Warren L. Maye

Silence can be deafening

Just ask an Emotional and Spiritual Care (ESC) specialist who is trying to connect with a stranger on the other end of a HOPEline call.

“If there’s a silence, I don’t know whether they’ve become emotionally down,” says Marie Cole.

Alluding to a time when such meetings took place in the same room, she continued, “If I’m in a one–on–one with them, I can see their body language. It means a lot.”

Today’s COVID–19 restrictions keep ESC specialists like Cole and her callers at a safe but frustrating distance. Mandated guidelines have cloaked subtle clues.

Nonetheless, this dedicated volunteer, based in Sidney, N.Y., persists. As Cole sits in her living room recliner with a colorful knitted throw behind her head, she listens carefully on her phone and, through her mind’s eye, sees the tears, frowns or exuberant smiles on people’s faces.

What started as a small group of volunteers on phones in the USA Southern Territory has since blossomed into 1–800 HOPEline, a network of volunteers in every territory who field many calls every day from across the nation.

“We are not counselors,” says Cole, who started volunteering for The Salvation Army in 2006 in response to floods in Sidney. After receiving her Emergency Disaster Services training in Syracuse, N.Y., she was deployed to various hurricane sites

around the United States, including Superstorm Sandy in New York City and surrounding areas.

“I really love what I’m doing. When the silence comes, I try to get them to open up so I can find out what they need. I try to understand if they’re going to need financial assistance, food, clothing or housing.” Cole’s soft voice is disarming. Her kind words can easily fill awkward silences. She calms, encourages, and lovingly cajoles her callers into staying engaged.

“I really like helping people; being able to give them some comfort; helping them to realize that they really are not alone. They want somebody to listen. There are many repeat callers who feel alone; they are confused about what they can do and what they can’t do.”

Cole remembers a woman who questioned why she had to wear a mask. “‘Why do I have to do that? I have trouble breathing,’ she said. So, we talked through that because, it is hard; we’re not used to doing all that.”

Born in Washington, D.C., Cole has spoken to callers from Chicago to California, and from young to old. Regardless of their station in life, their common thread is fear.

“Nighttime is hard because people are alone. Some older people can get Sundown Syndrome and they are afraid at nighttime,” says Cole. She refers to a state of confusion some people experience that typically begins with late afternoon shadows and continues into the night. It can cause anxiety or ag-

gression or cause people to pace or wander.

“One young man was afraid he might go back to doing drugs,” she says. “So, we talked a lot about that for a while and I recommended he go to The Salvation Army because they have a wonderful rehab program.”

Her work keeps her busy, despite having a husband who is recovering from surgery. “I had been up until midnight taking calls almost every night. When I wake up in the morning, there are three to four missed calls that came in the middle of the night.” She has since made 9:30 p.m. her new bedtime. “When my husband is back on his feet, I’ll probably be able to pick back up again,” she says.

Stories from the HOPEline

Other specialists have also connected with callers and helped meet their variety of spiritual, emotional, and practical needs. The following are just a few examples.

Living in the ‘War Zone’ Dan, an ESC specialist, receives a call one night from a woman who lives in the Washington, D.C., metro area. She has just come home from the grocery store, which she refers to as a “war zone.” She calls because she needs someone to talk to. She speaks about people’s hysteria and the distrust she has for the news media.

While spending about 15 minutes on the phone

with her, Dan learns among other things that she is a Christian. She explains that she misses her church, which is quite a distance from her home. She tells him about someone who is a family member of a friend of hers who is ill and who does not know Jesus. “I asked her if I could pray for her, her friend, and her friend’s family member and she agreed. We had a nice time of prayer after which she let me know that she felt better,” says Dan.

Help after a bipolar episode

On another night, Major Margaret McGourn answers a call from a woman in Chicago. “She said she just wanted to talk,” says McGourn. “That made me happy.” The woman had lost her job as a pharmaceutical tech due to a bipolar disorder episode. “She had interviewed for a new job but had not heard back and was discouraged. We did a mock interview and I was able to help her explain being let go from her previous job. At the end of the call she was so much more upbeat and seemed even hopeful about her future. She was happy for me to pray with her.”

Recovering from depression

Lt. Colonel Edith Pigford speaks to a 19–year–old woman from Orange, Calif. “She was experiencing depression and wanted spiritual help,” says Pigford. “She was pleased to find the free line since other counseling lines were not. She needed someone to talk to.”

However, as the call progresses, the woman and Edith discover that they have different definitions for spiritual help. “She was raised a Jehovah’s Witness (JW) but left at 16 due to a demanding and critical stepfather. She spoke of the expectations and rules, and her father pushing her to do things.

“She asked about my life. I spoke of my journey, the example of my parents and other family members, and acknowledged my trust in God, His gift of salvation, and my acceptance of that gift. She said that in all her years as a JW, she never saw or experienced such a relationship. I gave her the address of the nearest corps and told her that someone would be there to speak to her further, if she wished. We closed the conversation with her appreciation for my promise to pray for her and my reminder that God truly does love her.”

A soldier’s story

Pigford receives a call one Sunday from a Salvation Army soldier in the Western Territory. “She called just to talk to someone about her feelings,” says Pigford. “She appreciates her corps officers but does not want to burden them because she knows that they are doing all the social work and meal service.”

The woman who writes notes and makes weekly calls to people in the corps, tells Pigford, “I feel guilty for just wanting someone to call me.”

Since the pandemic hit, the woman and her adult disabled son have sheltered in place. “Due to the

closure of the agencies that would have provided services to her son, they have been basically locked in her house since March,” says Pigford.

“The soldier misses the interaction and worship at the corps. She appreciates the video ministry but feels guilty about being depressed. Her daily schedule is gradually falling apart, especially due to her son’s lack of regular activities. I encouraged her to pause each day in the Word and give thanks for God’s faithfulness. I told her that since March, I have been writing down song titles each day that have come to mind. It has become my journal of His faithfulness.”

For Pigford, the encounter is a wakeup call. “It points out to me that there are not just people in need of food due to being furloughed from their jobs who are hurting, but there are those in our own church and fellowship who are feeling out of touch and wondering what the future holds. The video ministry in the territory is helpful, but when people feel disconnected from their local congregation, that feeling of loss can lead to depression.

“What a brave, faithful soldier she is to reach out in honesty for help.”

The Future

The short term plan for the HOPEline is to keep it open through the end of November. Emotional and Spiritual Care is a vital tool in the aftermath of a disaster.

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

photo: iStock

The meaning of “Sheltering in place” grew significantly. Now that spouses, children, and in some cases extended family occupied space in the same house or apartment at the same time and for extended periods, an entirely new and frequently challenging family dynamic evolved. Pastoral counseling, preaching, and frequent virtual visitations via Zoom took on a new look that clergy could have never imagined.

Cases of domestic violence rose. Anxiety over the loss of employment led to clinical depression among family members.

Faith through COVID

by Robert Mitchell

If you ask Jean Renel Murat about his COVID–19 experience, he will tell you it was both bad and good.

First, the bad.

Murat, who helped start the Haitian ministry at the East Orange, N.J., Salvation Army, believes he contracted the virus in March from another employee at Stop & Shop. Murat suddenly started experiencing a fever, headache, sore throat, and pain in the back of his neck. He was in agony much of the time.

“When I realized I was infected, I put myself in quarantine,” he said. “I didn’t want anyone else to get infected and I didn’t want to be in contact with anybody. I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything.”

Murat did go to the hospital a few days into his ordeal, but doctors sent him home. He got by on vitamins, Tylenol, and home remedies.

“We Haitians believe in home remedies,” he said with a laugh.

Despite Jean’s best efforts, his wife Wiselaine also contracted COVID–19. Things got so bad that the officers at the East Orange Corps, Captain Nephtalie Joseph and Lieutenant Tharonza Elmonus, took the couple’s two children for a few weeks.

‘Keep us alive’

Murat lost weight and was in such anguish that he had trouble sleeping as he sat at home.

“I spent 10 days without sleep, not even for a second,” he said. “I felt like every night was a battle. I was suffering. It was hard during that time. I know

about hardship. I felt like I was close to death.”

In his suffering, Murat said he meditated on the trials of the biblical Job and the woman who bled for 12 years but knew she would be healed by touching Jesus’ garment (Matthew 9:20).

“In his suffering, Job still trusted in God,” Murat said. “In my suffering, I trusted in God. I talked to God and I said, ‘I’m not ready to die from the virus. I don’t want any member of my family to die from the virus. I want you to keep us alive for a testimony.’

I felt like my head was about to explode, but I kept my faith in God.

“Since Job believed in God, I felt I too had to believe in Him. If He did it for the one in the past, He will do it for me. That’s what I prayed. He heard my prayer and I started to get better. From there, I realized that God answers prayer.”

Just as Jean started to turn the corner in early May, his wife started showing signs of the virus. She didn’t have many of the same symptoms her husband did. Her main problem was breathing.

“When I laid down, I felt like I was going to run out of breath,” she said. “Some people had a fever, but I never did. I sometimes had a little bit of a headache. My whole body was aching.”

Feeling better

Wiselaine went to the doctor and was given a breathing pump. Like her husband, she largely depended on home remedies to improve her breathing

and fight off the virus.

“We heard so many people were dying, but God has given us a second chance. God can do anything. Just believe on Him and He will do everything. We say, ‘thank you’ to God,” she said.

Jean said it was hard to watch his wife suffer, but he reminded her of some of the lessons from Job as they pulled through together.

“It was so hard for her,” Jean recalls. “She said she wanted to die instead of living. I asked her, ‘Did God ask you for any advice when He created you? Keep the faith in God and continue to pray. We’re still going to pray. We’re still going to take medication.’ After a while, things started to get better. We both suffered a lot.”

Looking back, Wiselaine said her COVID–19 suffering strengthened her faith.

“Now I trust in God more and I take it seriously because from where I am now to where I was before, it’s a good testimony,” she said.

While Wiselaine was concerned about her own health as she bravely carried on each day, her thoughts also turned to the wellbeing of her daughters, Laesha, 12, and Sabrinah, 8.

“I was thinking, ‘What am I going to do with the kids?’ They were still in school,” Wiselaine said.

Jean prayed about the situation with the children and trusted God.

“It was so complicated,” he said. “Both of us were suffering. The kids couldn’t do anything for themselves,

but God answered another prayer.”

Soon, corps officers Joseph and Elmonus, who are also Haitian, offered to take the couple’s children to live with them for two weeks.

“We had to do it because they were sick,” Joseph explains. “Who was going to take care of them? I know they have family around here, but still we are family too.”

Joseph said the couple missed the children but maintained social distance until everything was clear.

“They would call every day,” said Joseph, who added that the Murats would sometimes come to the corps parking lot to see the children from a distance.

Sabrinah said she was “really upset” being separated from her parents. Laesha called it “weird” since the family is close, but the officers played games, organized dress–up dinners, and exercised with the girls.

“We had a lot of fun with them,” Joseph said. Their church home Wiselaine said she is eternally grateful to the officers, who have since been reassigned to a Salvation Army church in Columbus, Ohio.

“We thank God for placing people in our path,” she said. “Not everybody wanted to take them. They might have thought the kids were infected as well. We didn’t think about the infection, we just wanted the kids to be safe.

“We don’t have any words to thank them for taking our kids during that time. Even though we want to give them the world, that would not be enough.”

Jean agreed, adding, “You cannot put a price on what they’ve done. It was worth more than gold to us.”

Elmonus said the Murats are very protective of their children so she and Joseph were flattered by the family’s confidence in them.

“So, allowing us to have the kids for a few days meant a lot to us because they don’t trust the kids with anyone,” she said. “We were honored. We love the kids, so it was a wonderful experience.”

Joseph said the Murats, who live in East Orange, are active in the corps. Wiselaine cooks for many of the fellowships. Jean was the first senior soldier enrolled when the Haitian ministry started in 2017. Joseph said Jean is a Sunday school teacher, part–time preacher, and helps lead Sunday worship and prayer meetings.

A faith reborn Murat can also be found humbly cleaning the church, which is made up of predominately African American, Hispanic, and Haitian believers, Joseph said.

“We can call on him at any time and he will come and help us do anything,” she said. “We are two female officers and so sometimes we need a handyman. We can call on him and he’s always there.”

Elmonus said the Murats are “very strong in their faith.”

“When they were going through that whole experience, they were calling everyone for prayer, including us officers. That shows that faith means a lot to them,” she said.

In fact, Jean said the “good” part of his COVID–19

experience was that it renewed his faith in God.

“I see God from a different perspective. I understand that He really loves us. In that period, it was only Him. Nobody else. God took my suffering and I glorify God. It was so tiring at times, but in the midst of suffering, we know that whatever we ask God, He will do it.

“With all my heart, I asked God, ‘We don’t want anyone in the family to die from this infection’ and God heard me. I am alive today to share this because God heard me. That makes me love God every day and encourage others to love God as well.”

God still reigns Murat said he also has a conversation starter when it comes to sharing Christ.

“They will think if God can do it for somebody else, He will do it for me as well,” he said. “I know through our testimony other people will believe in God.

“Maybe they doubt His power, maybe they doubt what He can do, but when I explain and share my testimony, many people will see and know that God exists, that God is powerful, and they will trust in God as well. Many times, people want to believe, but they want other people to testify.

“The sickness confirms that God is powerful. That’s why I said it was a good experience because I have a new testimony. This is what I asked Him to give me—a testimony. That’s exactly what He did.”

Joseph said she sees “God’s hand” all over the Murat’s testimony and believes it will be used powerfully for His glory.

“God is on the move,” Joseph said. “Because with everything that’s going on, it’s easy to doubt His goodness. It’s easy to say, ‘You know what? God has given up on us.’ Then when you hear people like this sharing their testimony, you realize that God is still on the move. He’s still powerful. He’s still on the throne. He’s still in control.”

Summer camp in a box

by Robert Mitchell

Most summer camps across the Eastern Territory are closed this year due to COVID-19, a move that forced youth leaders to scramble for another way to build into children’s lives.

Hundreds of children would normally descend on Star Lake Camp in New Jersey this summer. Instead, leaders in the Greater New York (GNY) Division came up with an alternative called “Free Camp in a Box,” which includes several fun activities.

Captain Antonio Rosamilia, the youth and associate candidates’ secretary in GNY, said 185 boxes a week will be delivered for six weeks (1,110 total) to corps in the division. The program, which is for children ages 7–12, starts July 6.

New York City remains in Phase 1 of reopening. By mid-June, Phase 2 was still nowhere in sight.

“None of the kids are even allowed to go to the park in New York City. So, at least, we’ll give them

something to do at home,” Rosamilia said.

A virtual “camp counselor” will be hired for each corps to touch base with the kids each day.

“There will be a Zoom meeting every day and then during the day they can do the activities,” Rosamilia said.

The boxes feature Bibles, a T-shirt, camp gear, sunglasses, various arts & crafts, snacks, games, paint sets, pencils, balloons, crayons, and chalk to write Bible verses.

Rosamilia said each week will have a theme. The focus for the last two weeks is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Meanwhile, corps that normally hold a summer day camp will also get in on the fun by offering a “Summer Day Camp in a Box” since COVID is preventing large gatherings.

Lieutenant Cristina Spencer, the corps officer in

Medina, Ohio, said 100 children signed up for the boxes—roughly quadrupling the number who typically attend summer day camp at the small corps.

“We have 100 kids signed up and we have a waiting list of over 30 kids,” Spencer said. “Our goal is to provide some sort of normalcy to children in the community, especially during this time. It also helps parents who are out of work and have to entertain their children.”

Spencer said she expected 30-40 kids to sign up, but had 100 requests in three days. The corps can only accommodate about 25 children at a time when the building is open.

“We got a lot more than we expected, which is great,” Spencer said. “The best part of these summer camp boxes is that we’re reaching a new population. We haven’t had a relationship with most of these kids at all.”

Spencer said the boxes, which are for ages 6-12, include daily devotionals, snacks, activities, and crafts.

The weekly themes running through July are Lego Week (“Building the Kingdom”), Art Week (“We’re God’s masterpiece”), Superhero Week, Science Week, Candy Bar Week, Pirate Week, and Spy Week.

Spencer hopes children can return to the corps in person later in the year.

“Hopefully at the end of this, we can attract some of the kids to the corps,” she said. “We’re excited about the opportunity. We’re hoping that it encourages other people to seek the gospel. We want to reach out to these families and build relationships with them.”

The COVID–19 virus viciously attacked every preexisting medical condition in people who suffered ill health. Furthermore, being unable to travel, attend school, report to places of employment, and socialize with family and friends exacerbated preexisting social conditions. This phenomenon led to streets in every city throughout the territory being filled with marching feet and shouting voices that demanded reform on a variety of longstanding societal problems.

10 Million Volunteer Hours

photo: iStock

Full Zoom ahead

by Robert Mitchell

After COVID–19 caused the cancellation of church services in Concord, N.H., Major Rick Starkey bought 20 frozen pizzas and delivered them to his congregation one Wednesday in March.

The pizzas came with instructions—”cook them up and be on Zoom at 6 p.m. for a ‘virtual pizza party’ with worship to follow.”

“We knew it was going to be at least a couple of months that we wouldn’t be meeting together,” Starkey said. “I just tried to continue to have fellowship and to bring people together. We wanted to keep everyone focused and let them know we hadn’t forgotten about them.”

As COVID–19 raged, it seemed as if everything in the USA Eastern Territory went virtual through Facebook Live, Zoom, and other platforms.

Did COVID–19 drag Christian ministries into the digital future kicking and screaming?

Phil Cooke, a writer, producer, and media consultant who has helped several prominent Christian organizations engage the culture and move into the future, believes so.

“Since the lockdown, I’ve probably worked harder than I have in the last year,” Cooke said. “Ten or 20 years ago, we could not have launched a global movement like this in two or three months.”

Seeing the future

Before the quarantine, Cooke said LifeWay Research found that 41 percent of churches in America had

never offered anything online to their congregations.

“No services, no resources, no products, no small groups, nothing,” Cooke said.

“That has all changed dramatically since the COVID–19 shutdown,” Cooke said. Before the pandemic, he recalls pastors telling him they didn’t mind live streaming their services, but they also said, “That’s not real ministry.”

“Well, those guys have completely changed their tune,” Cooke said. “They realize that it’s go online or die.”

Cooke recently spoke to 200 pastors across Russia about improving their livestreams, as well as 50 pastors in South America and several denominational groups in the United States. He also led an online class on the topic for Oral Roberts University, his alma mater.

“There’s just been a huge uptick in the number of pastors and ministry leaders who understand that online is the future,” Cooke said. “What I’m essentially telling them is that, as we start to go back to church, this is not the time to take your foot off the gas with your livestream because, frankly, a significant number of people will not come back to church.

“We’re going to get a significant number of people who will come back, but they’re going to reduce their church visits to one or two times a month. They’re going to watch the livestream the other two times a month. That’s why we need to be really intentional about the livestreams that we do.”

It’s about engagement

Cooke said he’s been working for years to help churches with their livestreams. Several church leaders have told him that they generate as much as a third of their income from the livestream audience. One pastor in South Carolina said his livestream audience gave more than his 6,000–member congregation.

“What we’ve discovered is your congregation will support you whether they’re in the building or not,” Cooke said. “They’ll respond if you treat them intentionally, if you take them seriously, if you really engage with them and not just set up a camera off to the side somewhere and show them a glimpse of the service. If you really talk to them, welcome them to the service, look them in the eye, they’ll really get on board.”

Cooke said another pastor told him that before the shutdown, he only had eight subscribers to his YouTube channel. He now has 23,000 subscribers and 30,000 to 50,000 people a week watch his livestream. The church’s Easter service drew 1.5 million people.

“This church only has 900 members,” Cooke said. “He told me, ‘I feel guilty saying this, but I really am not anxious to go back into the building because we’re having more of an impact than we’ve ever had in our history.’ So, the bottom line is, pastors who take it seriously and treat their online audience intentionally are going to see some really remarkable things happen out there.”

Conducting an effective ministry of presence during this unprecedented time of mandated social distancing seemed like a “mission impossible” task for corps officers. They reported how their congregations—regardless of race, ethnicity, or nationality—expressed their intense emotional pain by crying out to God in earnest. So, in the absence of a traditional mercy seat at which to kneel, families were prostrate at home, frequently in front of their computer screens. Or they sat in cars in church parking lots on Sunday mornings and heard sermons over loudspeakers during drive–in services and prayed. As worship, in all its newest manifestations continued, some pastors were surprised and even delighted to see their online and drive–in congregations grow larger than their brick–and–mortar ones had ever been.

Virtual worship

However, it was during Sunday worship that Facebook and Zoom had the most influence. Some corps leaders pre–recorded their services and played them on Sunday, while others preferred livestreaming them.

“It has drawn a lot of our congregation members together and we’ve been able to connect in ways that we probably haven’t before,” said Captain Charles Adams of the New Haven, Conn., Corps.

Meanwhile, Starkey and his wife, Major Bethany Starkey, used Zoom and Facebook to interact with the members of their corps.

On Sundays before the livestream from Territorial Headquarters, Starkey would go live with praise, prayer requests, songs, and Bible readings.

Starkey also periodically posted Facebook videos to encourage his congregation.

“It was fellowship as if we were in church together,” he said. “It helped to see each other and talk to each other as we were worshipping. It’s us seeing each other’s faces and expressions and singing the songs together.”

For couples like Sean and Caitlyn Bohanan, who attend the Concord Corps, Zoom has been a huge help in keeping them connected since they have two small children.

Sean said evening events at the church happen just as he’s getting out of work or preparing the kids for bed. With Zoom, he can still take part.

“This is a good balance because the kids still have somewhat of a routine, but we’re still able to partake

in church services,” he said.

Caitlyn agreed, adding, “It’s nice with Zoom because you can still see everybody and chat with everybody and hear everybody’s praises and prayer requests.”

Greater connections?

Lieutenant Michael Borrero, the corps officer in Meriden, Conn., said he saw his congregation “take church out of a building and into their own personal lives” during COVID–19.

“We did Bible studies via Zoom and we saw the potential for our members to be able to see what the Bible and a verse is saying,” he said. “It’s been a great blessing to see how our congregation has grown when they read the scriptures and meditate and worship on their own. They’re finding ways to connect with God outside of a building.”

Lieutenant Bree Barker, the corps officer in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., said it has been difficult not having live church, but she sees advantages to virtual worship.

“We did Zoom meetings with our people, and I think we actually got closer to each other spiritually, at least those who were on the calls,” she said. “They were more honest and open with each other. ”

In Spring Valley, N.Y., the corps held weekly Bible studies, Sunday school, and worship in Haitian Creole, Spanish, and English, via Zoom.

“We did as many programs as we could on Zoom,” said Major Tom Hinzman. “We continued to reach out to all of our people with electronic programs.”

Hinzman said he often tags several government

and community Facebook pages to draw a larger audience. Some people have sent in money and mentioned that they saw the videos.

“We’re hoping that will open the eyes of the people to what the Army is doing and just help people feel more connected to what’s available and what’s being done at the corps.”

Getting them back

Cooke said some pastors have expressed worry that parishioners won’t return after COVID.

“I think the answer to that is you’ve got to really have an experience worth coming back to,” Cooke said. “If all you do is play a few songs and get up and preach and go home, I could watch that online. I don’t need to see that in a live service. But if you have something for me to come to and be a part of community, that’s different.

“You’ve got to be just as intentional about creating connections in community live as you were about doing it online. If you can do that, you’ll have a better chance of getting people to come back. They want to be a part of something big.”

Cooke said livestreams and Zooms can’t replace fellowship with church family, corporate worship, and prayer, but the younger generation sees things differently.

“You talk to anybody 35 years or younger and you’ll find that online is fellowship to them; that’s community,” he said. “For these folks, being on a Zoom call, being on FaceTime, and being live on Zoom is

just as much community as real life. So, we have to look at it from their perspective, not just our traditional perspective.”

Cooke said changes brought on by the pandemic may be here to stay because church leaders realize the future is online. He remembers the criticism Commissioner James Knaggs received when he launched the Salvation Army’s Vision Network in 2011, but the

staggering. With a world population of 7.8 billion and a nearly 85 percent literacy rate, that means 6.6 billion people could connect through online networks.

“Why are we not jumping into that, full bore?”

Cooke said. “We think of missions only in terms of geographical boundaries. Let’s start thinking about missions in terms of digital boundaries. “This is the greatest opportunity available that’s happened in the

Reports from the field

by Robert Mitchell

Today as the pandemic subsides, formation of a “new normal” among survivors continues, but ever so cautiously. Experts in every field essential to the recovery process, such as EDS, social services, and others, work meticulously while hoping and praying for a smooth transition into a brave new world.

Over

10 Million People Served

Lebanon, Pa.—Lieutenant Ivonne Rodriguez said the phone never stopped ringing after the outbreak of COVID–19.

The calls came mostly from the community’s growing Hispanic population. Many had lost their jobs and were scared.

“Some of the clients we’ve seen call us every single day,” Rodriguez said. “They are Hispanics. They’re not working, and all of the callers are asking for food.

They don’t have groceries and they mainly want to know about our distribution for emergency food.”

Rodriguez and her husband, Lieutenant Marlon Rodriguez, are bilingual and that was reassuring for the Spanish–speaking people who called.

“They feel comfortable when you speak their language,” she said. “They want to express themselves. They have concerns. They have questions. They want to know how they can register and get food. They need prayer and we pray with them. Some of them start crying and we talk to them about God if that door is open. Whatever they need, we are here to serve them.”

Ashland, Ohio—Four Chinese students from Ashland University (AU) found themselves stranded in the small Ohio community due to the travel restrictions surrounding COVID–19.

The university allowed them to remain in campus housing, but the school was otherwise closed, including food service. The students came to the food

pantry at the Salvation Army’s Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Ashland seeking assistance.

Major Annalise Francis, the Kroc Center administrator and corps officer, said the staff shared a month’s supply of groceries and told the students about The Salvation Army’s mission and the love of Jesus Christ.

“We were later told by an AU staff member that they returned to the university blessed by the experience, mentioning how they were treated with love, dignity, and respect,” Francis said.

Monessen, Pa.—When a local barbeque restaurant donated brisket to The Salvation Army, Captain Susan Thwaite wondered who would appreciate such a delicacy.

Then she thought about the healthcare workers battling COVID–19 at Monongahela Valley Hospital.

Thwaite said the brisket became the centerpiece for 40 meals, which also included green beans, egg noodles, dessert, and drinks.

“They were very nice meals compared to the other feedings we’re doing,” she said. “That was something special. We just wanted the hospital workers to know we were thinking of them. We wanted to brighten their day, give them some hope, and let them know we’re praying for them.”

Nashua, N.H.—It pays to be connected.

Rosemarie Dykeman, the director of social services for the Nashua, N.H., Corps, is one of the most con-

nected people in town and that helped The Salvation Army land a much–needed commercial freezer during COVID–19.

Dykeman is a member of the Greater Nashua Food Council and also serves on a variety of local boards, including several funded by the United Way of Greater Nashua.

Those two organizations recently came together to buy four freezers for local non–profits at a cost of about $7,000.

“I was able to express the things that The Salvation Army here in Nashua needed and I said, ‘If I can do a big ask, we would really like a freezer. That would really help us out.’ Since we’ve installed it, it is completely full. We keep filling it up every day. It has been so helpful,” Dykeman said.

Dykeman said before the freezer arrived, The Salvation Army and other organizations sometimes had to turn away large food donations.

“Because we didn’t have enough freezer and refrigerator space, we weren’t able to take as much as we could,” Dykeman said.

Having the freezer upstairs near the front lobby of the corps has been a huge blessing during COVID–19.

“Our numbers tripled since COVID,” Dykeman said.

Bangor, Maine—The Salvation Army’s Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen received a $3,700 donation from

Central Maine Moving and Storage and the Masonic Rising Virtue Lodge, both in Bangor. The bulk of the donation came from Central Maine Moving and Storage’s employee auction.

The company makes more than 1,000 home deliveries a month for various firms. If a piece of furniture is damaged or not acceptable, the companies ask Moving and Storage to pick it up and store it in their warehouse. Eventually, they usually ask for the items to be disposed of or given to charity.

The company holds an employee auction each month and gives the proceeds to charity. This time, it was The Salvation Army.

Bloomsburg, Pa.—The food needs in this small Pennsylvania community were not large, however the area’s children grew restless during the quarantine.

Michael Schmid, the treasurer and a volunteer at the Bloomsburg Salvation Army Service Center, sprang into action. A 39–year military veteran, Schmid enlisted the help of two local American Legion units, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Elks Club, to raise $2,000 for “Boredom Survival Kits.”

“We went shopping and we got everything from spinners to birdhouse kits to race car kits,” Schmid said. “We got little planters and dirt and seeds. We put together some fantastic kits.”

Schmid said 102 kits, which also featured such unique gifts as painting projects and card games, were distributed at two separate events.

Cambridge, Ohio—Captain Candice McMillen came up with the idea of “Boredom Buster Bags” in her community.

“We found that we had a lot of stocking–stuffer–type toys left over from Christmas, so we put those in a bag,” said McMillen, a former pre–school teacher. “We also copied our Orange Sunday school material. We purchased new books. We had some board games and game cards (such as UNO) and we included those to encourage families to work together.”

The bags included an assortment of goodies such as Play–Doh, coloring and puzzle books, crayons, small cars, craft kits, checkers, kites, and bubbles, along with age–appropriate COVID–19 information sheets.

Kingston, N.Y.—The corps fed hungry people daily through a pick–up window at the corps, but Lieutenants Alexander and Olga Vargas also remembered the children of the community.

During Holy Week, the officers delivered 30 Easter baskets to the Children’s Home of Kingston, where several kids were separated from their parents for the holiday. The baskets included chocolate crosses, candy, prayer books, and a water bottle.

When it came to providing food, the corps delivered meals and other foodstuffs to 25 rooms at a local motel housing people receiving social services. Alexander said many people in the motel had no

transportation or were elderly. Preparing meals in their rooms was prohibited.

The corps staff handed out food to people who congregate at a nearby gas station and delivered ice cream to children at a local daycare center that remained open.

Vineland, N.J.—The corps typically offers a popular Adopt–a–Family program during the Christmas season. When COVID–19 created a need for food, the corps decided to resurrect the effort with an Adopt–a–Family food drive.

Case manager Aubrie Bonestell, who is also the administrative assistant, said the corps advertised two “no–contact” food drives in late April. Donors were urged to adopt a family and donate enough items for a meal or even several meals.

Bonesteel said tables were set up in the parking lot. People drove up and handed off their donations to volunteers or simply popped their trunks.

“They didn’t even have to get out of their vehicles,” she said. “If they had items in their trunk, we would get it for them. There was no contact. They had their masks on, we had our masks on, and people loved it.”

Steubenville, Ohio—Lieutenants Erik and Barri Vazquez–Muhs had to go it alone for a month when they lost their only employee and faced a huge increase in people seeking food during COVID–19.

Because the corps is cramped and most of its volunteers are seniors—the most vulnerable to the

virus—the decision was made to keep them at home.

“It was a lot of extra work and it was just my wife and I for the entire month of April,” Muhs said.

Between the two of them, Lieutenants Erik and Barri developed a workable social distancing solution for food distribution. One of them would handle the phones and the intercom system at the corps and send orders via walkie–talkie. The other would box the food and leave it outside the back door when someone was ready to make a pickup.

Portsmouth, N.H.—When a local homeless shelter lost its volunteers because of COVID–19, the city’s AC Hotel stepped into the gap to provide daily meals.

The hotel managers also helped The Salvation Army by providing 100 meals a day, seven day a week, for the six critical weeks after the COVID–19 outbreak and shutdown.

The meals included such fine foods as ham, turkey, and spaghetti & meatballs.

Major Donna Marie Reed, who leads the corps along with Lieutenant Kimberly Clark, said the meals were served each night out of the soup kitchen at the corps. The help was timely.

“Having those 100 hot meals was amazing, especially at the beginning, when everything was closing down and there weren’t many places for people to go,” Reed said. “They went to seniors and the homeless population and just low–income people who are struggling.”

Marietta, Ohio—With nursing homes taking the brunt of COVID–19, Lieutenant Megan Moretz wanted to bless the staff of the Heartland of Marietta nursing home, which saw several people contract the coronavirus.

The home is special to Moretz and the corps because they held a church service there once a week before the coronavirus hit.

“We’ve gotten to know a few staff members and several of the residents,” Moretz said. “They’ve certainly been in our hearts and prayers as they’ve dealt with this.

“I know it must have been a stressful time for the staff and everyone living there.”

In late May, the corps received a donation of candy bars and decided to bless the nursing home staff, which was toiling each day despite receiving little recognition. Moretz delivered 50 candy bars to a staffer outside the nursing home.

“We just tied the candy bars together with a ‘thank you’ note and delivered those to the Heartland of Marietta,” Moretz said. “Even just a small gesture like that was appreciated by the staff.”

Collaboration between groups and individuals will help remove the uncertainty and establish short and long–term plans. Businesses are reopening, the economy is growing, and people are returning to work, on site.

76ers with the assist by

Robert Mitchell

The National Basketball Association (NBA) season, shortened by COVID-19, resumes this Thursday. However, the employees of the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Camden, N.J., have been ready for a while. They’re representing the hometown Philadelphia 76ers by wearing donated face masks.

Kroc employees have been wearing 100 face masks from NovaCare Rehabilitation and the Sixers, who return to the court on Aug. 1. The blue and red face masks are emblazed with the team’s traditional “PHILA” logo.

NovaCare and the Sixers are donating 10,000 masks overall to areas of need in Philadelphia and Camden, where the NBA team is headquartered.

In partnership with the Sixers Youth Foundation, the masks are being donated to a host of community organizations, which were pre-selected based on need and their history with the foundation and NovaCare. The groups include food banks, school districts, and other health and social service organizations.

“These are communities in need that really don’t have easy access to masks,” said Katie O’Reilly, the chief marketing officer for the Sixers. “Our foundation spends the bulk of its work in the city of Philadelphia and Camden, so they have a great understanding of that. We wanted to help, and obviously so did NovaCare.”

Desron Dorset, the team’s vice president of business development, told SACONNECTS magazine

that The Salvation Army was an easy choice.

“The Salvation Army works tirelessly to serve those who need it most. When deciding where the mask donations would make the biggest impact, the 76ers and NovaCare immediately identified The Salvation Army as the perfect recipient,” Dorset said.

Benjamin Ovadia, the resource development manager for the Camden Kroc Center, said the facility has so far received 100 masks.

“They’re nice,” Ovadia said. “They’re cloth, they’re reusable, and we’ve certainly been using them. They’re very distinctive.

“We’re keeping them for employees,” Ovadia said, explaining that the Kroc Center normally has 130 employees. “We have a fairly large PPE need. To the extent we have them, and a client might need them, that’s a possibility, but the first round was to go to the staff.”

Officials at the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Philadelphia said they have not yet received any face masks.

Face masks are mandatory in Philadelphia for people outside in public areas to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

“We are proud to collaborate with our more than 30-year partner, the Sixers, to provide masks in the communities we serve to promote health, safety, and well-being,” said Dan Bradley, NovaCare Rehabilitation president.

Inmates donate to fight COVID-19

by Warren L. Maye

“About 8 months ago when I went to Benner Township Prison, I thought I would speak to just a few inmates,” said Captain Daniel Gonzalez, administrator of the Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Altoona, Pa. However, he was in for a big surprise.

“There were almost 300 men in a huge gym where they conducted a beautiful service. I thought, Gosh, I don’t even feel as if I’m in a prison!” said Gonzalez. At the end of the message, as many as 50 men came forward, knelt at the altar, and earnestly prayed to God.

Opened in April 2013, the $200 million prison consists of 46 acres inside the perimeter’s fence and 589,492 sq. ft., under one roof. It has a population of about 2,000 inmates.

Previously, Gonzalez had attended an event where he met Rev. Henry Hansard, a native of Altoona who serves as chaplain at Benner, which is a medium security state correctional facility in Bellefonte, Pa. “I talked to him a little bit about The Salvation Army,” said Gonzalez. “At that point, he knew little about the Army, but said, ‘Listen, I want you to come down and speak on a Sunday.’ He invited me to preach at the prison for their Sunday service.”

Gonzalez’s visit was the first of several services he attended at Benner, which included a Black History Month observance. As keepsakes, Gonzalez gave inmates copies of Salvation Army publications such as the War Cry and SACONNECTS magazines.

Gradually, Gonzalez began to develop a

relationship with some of the men. “There was one prisoner who kept coming up to ask questions about The Salvation Army. He said that he wanted to get connected with us and help raise money for the Army,” said Gonzalez.

One day, Hansard told Gonzalez that men of the “Church of the Living Hope” at Benner had gotten together and started a fundraiser for different ministries in the area, which included The Salvation Army.

“At first, I was skeptical and wondered how they could do this,” said Gonzalez. He then witnessed a group of incarcerated men exercise their freedom of choice. “They have chosen the Salvation Army ARC here in Altoona, Pa., to help us in our efforts to fight COVID-19,” said Gonzalez. The inmates raised $3,000, divided the money to donate to various ministries, and joyfully released $1,000 to The Salvation Army.

“This service that you perform…is overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”

During this ordeal, Salvation Army volunteers, officers, social workers, truck drivers, and social media novices finally realized what they always knew was possible but needed an opportunity to prove it—that they could collaborate effectively; integrate multiple platforms; and reach a newer, broader audience with the gospel message.

Even in this time of social distancing, staffs are growing closer spiritually, intellectually, and professionally.

Zooming ahead in USA East

By Robert Mitchell and Hugo Bravo

It’s a brave new virtual world and the Salvation Army’s Eastern Territory is right in the middle of it. When the COVID-19 pandemic brought a quarantine and new social distancing rules, several territorial events started going online.

First, it was “Worship Together,” which is pre–recorded and broadcast Sunday mornings. Then came the virtual versions of Commissioning, the Territorial Arts Ministries (TAM) Conservatory, Star Lake Musicamp, and the Youth Department’s “Morning Disco.” It also appears that the “Welcome to the Cadets” in September could be online.

“I do think this quarantine has really forced us to tap into new technologies that then help us to come together,” says Jon Knaggs, the Communications Department’s social media director.

The “Worship Together” service, which began in March right after the COVID-19 lockdown, is filmed on Thursday and undergoes editing into the weekend. The broadcast is Sunday morning in both English and Spanish.

“That’s been time-consuming, but it’s been a good experience for us,” says Joe Pritchard, the Communications Department’s media director.

“It’s basically taping a short TV show. Different elements are taped in different locations.”

Pritchard said Commissioning was “stressful” and a challenge, given that it was supposed to coincide with the 2020 Congress, which was cancelled. Alternate plans had to be made in a hurry.

One challenge was the constantly changing state guidelines on social distancing. Organizers finally decided to tape most of the events at the College for Officer Training (CFOT) with no audience, only a few camera operators and officers, and the cadets.

“Again, it was almost like producing a TV show,” Pritchard said. “We had to actually pre-record more than 60 percent of the whole commissioning event.

“We were able to do what we needed to do and film accordingly with very few people in the room, while sticking to the social distancing guidance and direction put out by the state.”

Pritchard said his team worked around the tight schedules of the cadets, who were finishing up classes, to get the video shot and edited in time. The final product was a mix of live shots and pre-recorded material.

“We really wanted it to feel like it was a live event, but I think overall people felt it was seamless and people had a pretty good feeling of how it all went down,” he said.

The entire Saturday night event at Commissioning, featuring praise and worship, was pre-recorded.

“We really wanted the cadets to have this time together and still make it special for them, while still abiding by all the protocols that were put in place because of COVID–19,” Pritchard said. “I think we were able to accomplish that, and I think most of the cadets had a good experience.

“We’ll always remember that time because it was unique and different.”

The virtual events this summer even extended to children. Beginning in July and running through August, the territory’s Youth Department invited children aged 6–12 and their parents to dance, laugh, sing, and learn about God’s love. The program is called “Morning Discovery: the online Children’s Ministry Show” or “Morning Disco” for short.

The 23–minute variety program includes upbeat songs, dancing, Bible verses, and friendly competitions between members of the youth department. Most importantly, Morning Disco is a reminder to young people that, despite everything going on in the world today, God is present and powerful in all our lives.

Captain Jason Knaggs, the Youth Department secretary, directed the first episode and provided color commentary for its “Let There Be Light” competition. He says that Morning Disco came from children’s worship ministries at Salvation Army summer camps, where he and his wife, Captain Leslie Knaggs, had worked for eight years as camp directors.

“We always had a vision to present what we had in camps for others to see, but COVID–19 made us speed up the process,” says Captain Jason.

Jon Knaggs said one challenge with all the virtual programming has been getting younger audiences engaged.

“Trying to get kids’ ongoing attention, all the time, is always difficult—even in person,” he said. “So, forget about not having them in front of you and trying to keep them engaged on a computer screen.”

The technical aspect has also been a “huge struggle,” Jon Knaggs said, “including making sure everyone has the right cameras, microphones, internet connection, and Zoom capability.”

“There are a lot of people tapping into technology they’ve never used before,” he said. “Who knew that Zoom was going to take over our lives? There are a lot of variables to actually make it happen.”

In lieu of the popular Star Lake Musicamp, held each summer in the mountains of New Jersey, the Eastern Territory’s Music Department created “SLMC Summer Series” featuring daily classes, concerts, recitals, lessons, songster rehearsals, and more.

“It’s a lot of masterclasses and resources for people that are interested in learning during this time,” explained Brindley Venables, director of music program development.

Venables said the department tried Zoom classes but found it better to use Facebook Live videos. “Unite and Sing,” which is a virtual songster rehearsal, will be the only class held via Zoom.

“We’ve had a good response from viewers,” Venables said. “There’s been lots of interactions. People from all over the world are tuning in and I think really appreciate what we’re doing. “If there is one positive in having SLMC online, it’s that you can reach people from all over the world, and maybe get the message of the gospel to someone that might not otherwise have heard it.”

TAM, which is usually held at the CFOT, was also virtual this year and called TAM-Q for “TAM Quaran-

tine.” The weeklong event was held in early July.

“We had a really good response from the student body and from the instructors afterwards,” said Kathryn Higgins, the territory’s arts ministries director. “We got lots of feedback that it was a meaningful time.

Higgins said students were online in the morning and had the option of afternoon sessions for more instruction.

“That was a really unique element we weren’t able to do in person,” she said.

Higgins said the TAM staff asked what it could provide through Zoom that it couldn’t in real life. The result was a series of celebrity interviews with Sherri Chung, who grew up in The Salvation Army and is now a film and television composer for such shows as “Riverdale” and “Arrow”; Chris Lee, who played Marques de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the Chicago edition of the play “Hamilton”; and Colin Mochrie from “Whose Line is it Anyway?” The last interview was prerecorded.

Higgins said TAM held a worship night on Zoom and, after some apprehension from wondering if Zoom was the proper platform, the show was a huge success.

Higgins said experimenting with the different platforms was a learning experience.

“We have a better sense of when to use each platform if you’re trying to create an opportunity for community and input from the students or if you just want them to sit and watch,” she said. “Every platform offers a different style of connection. That was the

steepest learning curve for us.”

The Communications Department took studentprovided videos from TAM students and created a 4-minute video for the finale.

Looking back at the virtual summer thus far, Jon Knaggs and Pritchard both believe livestreaming, Zoom, and other virtual platforms are the future.

“The livestream thing has been building for a number of years but has been absolutely crucial to our communication,” Jon Knaggs said. “I do see us coming together again, but I also see things like streaming church on Sundays becoming a normal thing for churches.

“If you’re sick or away, you can still be part of your local church. I do see the livestream thing continuing, especially at the local level. It could be a normal thing at the territorial level as well.”

Pritchard said the changes are necessary at least until there is a COVID-19 vaccine.

“I think we have to change,” he said. “We need to adapt. There are going to be people still concerned about coming into an environment where there’s a lot of people.

“If we as the Army can think of more creative ways to approach these live events, I think there’s opportunities to expand our audiences rather than just the same group of people that always show up to these things. I think we have to adapt, and we need to think about how we can change for the future, while still social distancing and protecting all those involved.”

In a year when the world made so many references to having 20/20 vision, God focused its eyes on Him. In time, the catastrophic events of 1918, 1929, 9/11, and now 2020 will all find their place in posterity as the USA Eastern Territory moves forward to its next great ministry adventure.

With each challenge, the Army’s level of preparation has elevated it above the threat of seemingly dire circumstances, bleak outcomes, and sobering prognoses. It has emerged even stronger than before.

May all those who so faithfully support this church be encouraged as Asa was when he heard these words, “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded,” (2 Chronicles 15:7).

Writer Biographies

Warren L. Maye, B.F.A., M.A.

Warren is Editor in Chief of SACONNECTS, the Salvation Army’s award–winning Christian lifestyle magazine, published in English, Spanish, and Korean. As a winner of many awards in writing and photography, he has also authored several books, including Soldiers of Uncommon Valor: The History of Salvationists of African Descent in the United States (The Salvation Army, 2008).

Retta Blaney, M.A., M.F.A.

Retta is the Writer/Editor for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. She has won nine journalism awards and is the author of Working on the Inside: The Spiritual Life Through the Eyes of Actors (2003), which features interviews with Kristin Chenoweth, Ann Dowd, Edward Herrmann, Liam Neeson, Phylicia Rashad, Vanessa Williams, and many more.

Robert Mitchell, A.A., B.S.

Robert is managing editor of SACONNECTS magazine. His work has appeared in Salvation Army periodicals around the world, including Good News!, Priority!, SACONNECTS, and many others. He has won numerous awards from the Evangelical Press Association (EPA). Before coming to The Salvation Army, he worked in the newspaper business for 15 years.

Eileen Lippman, B.S.

Eileen is a grant writer at The Salvation Army Rochester Area Services. She previously served as the Public Information Officer at The Salvation Army Disaster Services, PENDEL Division, during the height of the pandemic, where she wrote 35 press releases detailing The Salvation Army’s dedication to bringing help and hope to people most affected by the crisis.

Hugo Bravo, B.A.

Hugo is a writer for SACONNECTS magazine. His work covering the members, programs, and volunteers of The Salvation Army Eastern Territory and Latin America has won awards from the Evangelical Press Association (EPA). He has worked in a variety of industries, including advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, financial news distribution, and pharmaceutical advertising.

To learn more about The Salvation Army’s response to the COVID–19 pandemic, how we’re Doing the Most Good in the Eastern Territory, or to donate, scan this code.

THE SALVATION ARMY, USA EASTERN TERRITORY | COMMISSIONERS WILLIAM A. AND G. LORRAINE BAMFORD, TERRITORIAL LEADERS