10 Things You Don’t Know About the Army
National Salvation Army Week 2018 is May 14-20, and is a time to celebrate the Army’s services to our neighbors who are vulnerable and in need. You know the Army is “Doing the Most Good,” but do you know what that means?
Here are 10 things you may not know The Salvation Army offers in our local communities…
1. Fighting Hunger
The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division serves more than 1 million meals annually through sit-down meal programs and mobile meals. We also provide groceries for families and individuals in need through Salvation Army food pantries.
2. Emergency Shelter
The Salvation Army provides emergency shelter for families in need through The Evangeline Booth Lodge. This shelter is one of the few in Chicago focused on keeping fathers and juvenile males with their families. The Shield of Hope shelter is the nation’s first rapid-response emergency homeless assessment and response center. The new facility will provide entire families facing homelessness with personalized service and support.
3. Adult Rehabilitation
The Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center and Adult Rehabilitation Centers provide spiritual, social and emotional assistance to more than 4,000 men and women seeking long-term recovery from substance abuse.
4. Disaster Relief
The Salvation Army responds to disasters in our own backyard, across the country and around the world. We are usually the first to arrive and often the last to leave, providing hot meals, shelter, financial assistance and helping to rebuild communities. All donations raised for disaster support are used solely for disaster relief.
5. Life Enhancement
The Salvation Army corps community centers offer religious and character-building programs including Sunday school, youth scouting troops, athletics and sporting events, arts and music, after-school help, camps and more.
6. Camp
The Salvation Army provides more than 12,000 children, adults and seniors with nearly 40,000 camping days at the Wonderland Camp and Conference Center in Southern Wisconsin. At camp, children learn fishing, boating, swimming, archery, hiking and get the opportunity to just be a kid.
7. Senior Services
The Salvation Army offers programming specifically catering to the interests and needs of seniors, including exercise, hobbies, meal and spiritual services.
8. Anti-Trafficking
The Salvation Army is on the forefront of the battle against sex and labor trafficking. We are a co-founding member of the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force, helping survivors leave their situation and start a new life. Through these efforts, the Army serves nearly 100 survivors every year and provides anti-trafficking training to thousands of individuals.
9. Estate Planning Assistance
The Salvation Army offers complimentary will, trust and estate planning services and resources. Our team can help you make sure your plans reflect your specific intentions. There is never any cost for our services, and we follow your decisions to create a legacy plan that passes on your assets and your values.
10. Christmas Assistance
The Salvation Army’s Christmas assistance program makes sure the holidays are bright for more than 11,000 families annually. Families who register for the Army’s Angel Tree program receive toys and clothing for their children to open on Christmas morning and a food box overflowing with a turkey or ham, all the fixings and dessert—everything needed for a full Christmas dinner!
To support The Salvation Army programs and services, you can make a donation or register to volunteer.