Events

The Salvation Army of Central Indiana is partnering with Jack's Donuts this year to celebrate National Donut Day! Together we are bringing the great story of how Donut Day began and the great tasting donuts from Jack's! We invite the community, veterans, and first responders to celebrate with us downtown at Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Friday, June 7th! Come to the circle starting at 9 a.m. to get a FREE donut (while supplies last).

The Salvation Army of Central Indiana will be delivering donuts to local veterans and first responders as a token of appreciation for their service to our community. It’s a small gesture to express gratitude for their dedication and sacrifice.

History of National Donut Day

National Donut Day was first celebrated in 1938 in Chicago as a fundraiser to help those in need during the Great Depression. It also commemorated the work of the "donut lassies" that had served beside American soldiers on the front lines during World War I. The Salvation Army's mission to provide emotional and spiritual support to these young soldiers began in April 1917 with the deployment of just a dozen young women to the war zone in France. Eventually around 250 Salvation Army volunteers traveled abroad to help care for soldiers. Cooking special treats in battle conditions and with limited rations was a challenge, but two young women, including Huntington, Indiana native Helen Purviance, found a way to fry the first of the soon-to-be famous donuts. News spread, and it wasn't long before thousands of donuts were being fried daily all along the front.

Both the presence of these courageous women and the donuts that tasted of home brought a light of hope and happiness to the battlefield — a much-needed morale boost for languishing soldiers. In fact, the Donut Lassies are also credited with popularizing the donut in the United States after the troops (commonly known as “doughboys”) came back from fighting in Europe. And still today, over a hundred years later, The Salvation Army continues to serve on the front lines through a wide range of social services for the most vulnerable individuals and families living in the United States.