The Army's Strength - Our Volunteers
When we celebrate the support our communities give us, often times the first thing that might come to mind is the generosity of your donations and gifts. One of the strongest areas of support we receive, however, is volunteer help! Becoming a hands-on part of the change we create is a calling for many who come to support our mission. Their backgrounds and volunteer work are as diverse as the services we offer across the entire Heartland Division, and we want to thank all of them for their constant efforts and commitment. No matter how much time they are able to dedicate or whether their work is in an office or in the streets of our communities, all of our volunteers are the reason The Salvation Army continues to bring the most good.
You don’t have to look too far to find one of our volunteer family members. Right here in our own Heartland Division office we are blessed to have weekly help. Shruti Srikumar is one of the volunteers that helps our donor services department. Asking Shruti a bit about herself and her work help demonstrate the wide range of our volunteer opportunities and the personalities behind them.
Shruti is originally from Peoria and is currently working her time mindfully through a gap year before attending medical school. “I also volunteer at Unity Point Methodist hospital, so I’m kind of doing a lot different things right now,” she explained. Despite being an avid volunteering throughout the week, this happens to be her first time working with The Salvation Army, and like many first time volunteers her view of our work has broadened. Shruti echoed what we often hear: “I’d say most people think of food drives when they picture The Salvation Army.” In the month she has been with us so far, these different aspects of our services have been what she finds most valuable: “It is nice using and seeing skills I didn’t learn in school!”
All of our locations across the Heartland Division have key support members who are often time volunteers. They may find The Salvation Army early in life, or later. We may be lucky enough to have them for a lifetime of service, or seasonal help in our times of most need. Volunteers may be looking to serve face to face with the vulnerable in their community, or offer their time as Shruti does: helping us with the work that keeps us running strong within all of our communities.
Shruti found us because she knew there are always opportunities for volunteers in The Salvation Army. She wanted to share a message for those who might not know or think of the opportunities as one dimensional: “There are A LOT of ways someone can serve an organization, and The Salvation Army is no different.” If you want to take this message to heart and join the team of volunteers who bring our mission to life every day, contact us or read about our current opportunities. The fulfillment and impact we are able to share with our volunteers is truly a special blessing. We thank Shruti and everyone who has helped us achieve all we have so far and all those who are becoming part of the future changes we will create!