VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Across The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory and beyond, groups of young professionals have gathered to form official Salvation Army Echelon chapters. These men and women represent the Army and engage with the community to host fundraising events, volunteer opportunities, and create networking connections.

“We wanted to reach out to young people, either in the beginning or middle of their careers, and offer them opportunities to give their time to noble causes,” says Ted Lynch, a member of the Salvation Army’s board in Massachusetts. “The reality is, if people are in their 20s or 30s, finding time to volunteer can be difficult. They may be trying to move up in their company or put in extra hours on the weekend.

“What makes being part of Echelon unique is that it’s not just a day of volunteering. It’s also going out as a group afterwards to socialize and get to know those other professionals in the Boston area with whom you’ve just served,” says Ted.

Grace, Ted’s daughter, has been a Salvation Army volunteer since she was 6 years old. Now a college grad, she says that Echelon is a way for young people to give back who may not be as familiar with the Army’s mission as she is and network at the same time.

“Young people want to help much more than we give them credit for,” says Grace. “But they want to see who they’re helping, and how the work they do affects others. If they can find good mentors from the Salvation Army boards at the corps or from among other people in the community they meet, that’s even better.”

Grace says that when she “pitches” Echelon to people, she gives them a clear view of the Army’s initiative, and how they can contribute in a way that makes their contribution convenient for them.

“When you’re fresh out of school, donating even an hour every week can be tricky, because schedules and plans can change daily. But I’ve noticed that some would rather give four hours, one weekend a month,” says Grace. “And that’s great, because there’s value in seeing a group of people volunteer together for a big part of the day.”

Like Grace, Neetu Wadhwani, a 25–year–old tech employee in Boston, is the type of young professional who makes an Echelon chapter thrive. She believes in the mission of The Salvation Army, and that others will want to be involved in it. “It all starts by talking about the mission of The Salvation Army or showing a video of the work we do, like back–to–school events in Dorchester or turkey drives for the holidays,” says Neetu. “It’s human nature to want to help others; we’re built to give and to feel fulfilled when we do.”

Neetu’s older brother Danny, also a member of Echelon, knows that unless a young person is exposed to volunteering from an early age, they may simply not be familiar with The Salvation Army, or even with volunteering at all.

“Imagine asking a young finance major to come out this Saturday and help at a corps food drive. They might say, ‘I haven’t slept a lot this week, I need to clean my apartment, I wanted to meet up with my friends, etc.’ But what if I said that, after we’re done feeding the community, we’ll go get our own food at a restaurant, network with other professionals who helped us, and one of them works in the corporate offices of Bank of America? Now, it becomes something much more interesting for that grad who is looking to grow in their field.”

Even before becoming involved in Echelon, Danny had worked with The Salvation Army through his company Thinklite, which has donated face masks, air safety monitoring devices, and air purification machines to the Army’s summer Camp Wonderland in Massachusetts. He wishes that the opportunities Echelon provides had been around a decade ago when he was younger.

“Our grandfather taught us that we cannot give everything to everyone, but when you realize that you have an opportunity to give something to someone, it is your duty and responsibility to do so,” says Danny.

The Salvation Army’s biggest edge over other organizations is the people behind it, says Danny. Bringing in top–tier people through the Echelon chapters will only enhance that reputation.

“There’s no place that has the volume of like–minded and like–hearted individuals as The Salvation Army. Donors come to events and see that the people aren’t volunteering just off the Army name; they truly want to make the most impact and ‘do the most good’ in their community. That’s who we want in Echelon.

“Plus, we’re in Boston, a college town filled with young, bright professionals and grads,” says Danny. “If you can’t have a great Echelon chapter here, where can you have it?”

by HUGO BRAVO