Friends Attend Sandwich Making Day at the Divisional Headquarters Kitchen
It’s a Thursday afternoon at The Salvation Army Divisional Headquarters. Motown plays from a radio in the corner of the room, filling the space with a steady rhythm and vibrant vocals. Tables are lined with sliced bread, ready to be stacked high with lunchmeat. It’s a sandwich making day, and all sandwiches made will be served on our Bed & Bread Club trucks that travel through Detroit daily to feed the hungry.
Generous volunteers are diligently working at each table, chatting with one another. Aricka Truchan is one of them, laughing and singing along to the music with her mother, Almira Jackson.
Aricka, known for her on-air work at 99.5 WYCD and 104.3 WOMC Detroit, has been involved with the The Salvation Army since 2008 when she was a student at Specs Howard School of Media Arts. Herself and Shannon Murphy (pre-Mojo in the Morning) signed up for a bell ringing shift together during the Christmas season. To her surprise, that decision led her to a passion of volunteering for The Salvation Army.
“At first, I thought, ‘I don’t want to stand outside the mall in the cold,’” she begins. “But we ended up having so much fun. You don’t realize the good you’re doing until you’re out there doing it. And from that point on, I fell in love with The Salvation Army.”
Today Aricka is here with her mom, Almira, who has never volunteered for The Salvation Army before. They try to do something together once a week, and this week, Aricka chose sandwich making.
“I brought her with me because I knew it would be something that she would absolutely love,” she explains. “We unfortunately had a family member that suffered from homelessness, so we’re really thinking of him when we do this. We have gotten help in the past when we needed it, so it’s important to give back.”
As Almira’s first time volunteering here, she finds herself genuinely affected by the work they’re doing today.
“I’m getting chills just thinking about the impact we’re making,” she says. “I feel for the homeless, and I always try to help when I can. I love helping people, and I want to do more.”
Not only does Aricka feel a personal connection to the mission of The Salvation Army due to her family history, but also because of the services and assistance offered to the community.
“Volunteering for The Salvation Army means giving back to the community,” she says. “There’s a lot of aspects in the community, as far as needs and issues, that people don’t even think about or realize. The Salvation Army hits on everything that’s needed.”
Nearly 13 years since her first involvement, Aricka can still be found volunteering for The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division. Not only does she get fulfillment from helping the community, but she also has fun while doing it.
“I continue to volunteer because of the feeling I get out of it. I always feel good afterwards. And the people you’re there volunteering with are just as fun as friends you’ve known forever! I’m excited to volunteer again and try something new.”
Volunteer sandwich making opportunities are open at The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Divisional Headquarters. Some details include:
- Tuesdays and Thursdays with two shifts available each day
- 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
- 12 p.m.-3 p.m.
- 15 open volunteer spots per shift
- Volunteers must be ages 16 years and up
For additional information, please contact Barb Pilat at (248) 996-5051 or Barbara.pilat@usc.salvationarmy.org. You can also visit our website to learn more about the Bed & Bread Club.