A New Generation for The Salvation Army
A New Generation for The Salvation Army – by Danielle Greco
The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division understands the time and effort it takes to rebuild our communities and it continues to provide hope to the families and neighborhoods that remain underserved. As a division, however, we realize that we must also reinvent ourselves in order to keep Doing the Most Good. With that in mind, Echelon Detroit, a new generation of supporters for The Salvation Army, was born.
With the help of existing Echelon chapters around the United States and an extremely supportive Metro Detroit Advisory Board, we began sharing the mission of Echelon and capturing the hearts and minds of several young professionals who would become our founding Advisory Board. Our purpose was to engage and inspire Millennials in Detroit to give back, interact and make an impactful difference, all while emulating Detroit’s unique grit and culture in our work.
To encourage millennial involvement, Echelon focuses on three things: meaningful social networking, donations and fundraising, and service and volunteering. Market Sales Manager at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and first Echelon Detroit President, Anil Kapoor, notes, “Our chapter comes at a critical time in our community, and our future footprint will be shaped by how we approach this opportunity.”
In our first few events, we did just that by incorporating volunteer and social events to engage Echelon members in giving back while also raising awareness for The Salvation Army’s various programs that run throughout the year. These events help us raise awareness of community needs, engage with other Millennials and business partners, and provide a variety of in-kind donations that support The Salvation Army Corps programs.
With continuous support and recruitment, Echelon Detroit will undoubtedly make its mark on Metro Detroit and begin a new chapter of giving that will last for many years to come. To find out more about our Echelon chapter, visit our Web site at https://salvationarmyechelon.org/chapters/det"