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A true outdoor Army by HUGO BRAVO
A local Salvation Army church and its pastors are usually the hub of the Army’s ministry in a small town. But in places where that church is absent, a Salvation Army Service Extension unit and its volunteers make sure that the community’s needs are met. “This is a different ministry than the rest of The Salvation Army,” says Wilfred Leslie, service extension director of the Army’s Massachusetts Division. “A service extension unit has no corps, no pastors, and no four walls. We have to be out in the community; it’s the only way we’ll be successful.” There are challenges to operate a Salvation Army–centered ministry without a church building to welcome people or uniformed officers to represent the Army in the community. But even without a central hub, it is still possible to create working relationships and continue the mission of The Salvation Army. “Our coalition’s strategy for recruitment is focused on tapping into agencies that have expertise and connections that we don’t. We reach out to senior centers, veterans’ groups, banks, other churches, and even mom and pop stores. When we have their expertise, we don’t have to be experts on everything; we can do what we do best.” Massachusetts has between 400 and 500 year–round volunteers. “It has been such a pleasure to work with and get to know them,” says Leslie. There are members like Tim Veglas, an Army employee who hosts Family Fun Days in parks and town commons with other charities and churches. Every group hosts a different activity for the community to take part in and enjoy. Tim does several of these events per year, which are attended by over 200 children and their families. Volunteers John and Dwin Schuler have been the face of kettle season for years. During the COVID–19 lockdown, the
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90–year–old couple learned to use Zoom and talked to the local media about the work the Army was currently doing. Leslie is also proud of Service Extension’s “ministry of presence,” a spiritual referral network of church leaders in the community who serve as a listening ear. Sometimes, that work is just as valuable as food or clean clothes, says Leslie. “When most people come to The Salvation Army for help, they’re in a bad spot in life. We have connections with deacons and pastors of local Christian churches. They will sit with them and listen to what is going on in their lives. We’ve offered that service for 20 years now; I can’t imagine how many lives those church leaders have influenced.” During the Salvation Army’s COVID–19 response, every member of Leslie’s team was encouraged to participate in the Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) effort. “It was an ‘all hands on deck,’ and ‘sleeves rolled up’ approach. They had the training, and everyone got involved in some way, from delivering meals to driving trucks for food banks,” says Leslie. Leslie says that ma k ing Ser v ice Extension into a larger aspect of the Salvation Army’s ministry is the next natural step. “If we could become partners in ministry with the ARCs and the churches, there would be no limit to the programs we could provide,” says Leslie. The Bridging the Gap program, another Salvation Army ministry, is an example of what Service Extension can do to better serve the community. “Bridging the Gap has satellite offices; I’d like to see that done with Service
PROGRAMS SPONSORED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS SERVICE EXTENSION FAMILY FUN DAYS Along with games and activities, Service Extension partners with the business community to purchase and distribute backpacks filled with school supplies. VETERAN FUNDRAISERS Service Extension runs “boot drives” to raise funds for veteran assistance. Local service unit volunteers, as well as local partner agencies, commandeer an intersection with open–topped kettle buckets to collect cash donations. BACKPACK 68 In the city of Attleboro, Service Extension delivered the Backpack 68 program from January to June of 2020. Initially, it provided food during the 68 hours from the end of school on Fridays until it opened on Mondays. They've expanded it to 7 days every other week through Salvation Army–branded food boxes. . VIRTUAL KETTLE In 2020, the Service Extension unit in Wellesley, Mass., participated in the 2020 virtual kettle and raised $40,000, the most of any corps or service unit.
Extension too. We could engage in every level and help churches that have to focus on several communities; engagement would not be limited in any single location.” “That’s always the vision of Service Extension; community engagement. It’s the basis of the work of The Salvation Army.”
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