Five Volunteer Highlights to Celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month
At The Salvation Army, volunteers play a big part in what we do. To celebrate National Volunteer Month, we are highlighting five groups who spend their time and talent helping us Do the Most Good in Michigan.
1. Corporate volunteers
There are many companies who sponsor programs, services and special events throughout the year, but our most dedicated sponsors also encourage their employees to volunteer. The most recent example is one of our Bed and Bread Club® Radiothon sponsors, Meridian. For the fifth year in a row, Meridian volunteered at The Detroit Harbor Light. They helped load the Bed & Bread truck with food and coats and CEO Patricia Graham accompanied the truck on its route. In April, Ford employees will also be helping at the Harbor Light kitchen.
*Meridian volunteers outside the Bed & Bread Truck
2. Women's Auxiliary
The Women’s Auxiliary is a group of dedicated women who support The Salvation Army in a number of valuable ways, such as putting together personal care kits, assembling easter baskets, volunteering for the Radiothon Phone Bank and bell ringing during the Christmas season. The group was formed in 1914 to help single mothers and their children, and it continues to do great work in helping The Salvation Army.
* Women's Auxiliary members with completed Easter baskets
3. Bell ringers
Every Christmas season we rely on bell ringers at locations across Michigan. Most commonly they can be found in front of participating grocery stores. Volunteers sign up at registertoring.com and choose the shift they would like to work. One bell ringing highlight is Celebrity Bell Ring Day in December, in which local celebrities such as Big Jim from WCSX radio volunteer to ring. Last year we also celebrated our first ever Volunteer Bell Ringing Ambassador, Pam Callan. She was presented with an official Ambassador bell at the annual Civic Awards Dinner.
* Pam Callan with Lt. Colonel John Turner receiving her award.
4. Radiothon phone bank volunteers
During our annual Bed & Bread Club Radiothon we rely heavily on phone bank volunteers. They receive calls from donors and record their payment information, making them perhaps the most vital workers of the Radiothon (aside from WJR Radio which makes it all possible.)
* Radiothon volunteers hard at work
5. Volunteer musicians
The Five Lakes Silver Band is an award winning, nationally acclaimed British-style Brass Band based in Royal Oak that frequently volunteers to help with Salvation Army events. Most notably, they help teach music curriculum at local Corps Community Centers and Echo Grove Camp and Retreat Center. Last December they also helped spread Christmas cheer by playing Christmas songs at a Kroger bell ringing station. The band’s leader is Christopher Ward, who is also the director of Music and Gospel Arts at The Salvation Army Great Lakes Division.
* Five Lakes Silver Band spreading Christmas cheer
These are just a few of the generous individuals who volunteer in The Salvation Army Great Lakes Division. And to these and all those not mentioned, we appreciate you and could not operate without your generous support!
If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities check out our website at sagreatlakes.org/volunteer, or email our volunteer coordinator Lynnette Marshall. If you don’t have time to volunteer, we also appreciate your donations!