It’s National Salvation Army Week!
Do you love The Salvation Army? If your answer is yes, then the next seven days are right up your alley.
May 13-19 is National Salvation Army Week, when thousands of Americans celebrate The Salvation Army, cheer for the people we serve, and recognize the donors and volunteers who make our work possible.
National Salvation Army week is a 65-year-old tradition. President Dwight D. Eisenhower (pictured) declared the first one in 1954 as a reminder to Americans to give freely of themselves, saying, “Among Americans, The Salvation Army has long been a symbol of wholehearted dedication to the cause of brotherhood.”
Indeed, The Salvation Army is woven deep into the fabric of America. Consider the following:
- U.S. astronaut John Young brought our flag to the moon in 1972.
- During both World Wars, female Salvation Army volunteers, nicknamed “Donut Girls,” served coffee and donuts to U.S. soldiers battling on the front lines. (Heads-up: National Donut Day is coming Friday, June 7.)
- The Salvation Army first arrived in the U.S. in 1880 and has since helped change the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans.
Today The Salvation Army operates in 130 countries, providing food, shelter, disaster relief and other services for millions – including more than 2,000 Salvation Army schools that educate upwards of 500,000 children living in depressed regions of the world.
In our corner of the globe, The Salvation Army Northern Division provides life-changing services for 340,000 people in Minnesota and North Dakota. Consider these recent success stories and volunteer profiles:
- A man named David overcame his meth addiction with help from The Salvation Army.
- Volunteer Vivian Palm is an energetic and ageless volunteer in Henning, Minn.
- Salvation Army food programs such as our Friday Food Fair in St. Paul are a godsend to struggling families.
- Our youth basketball program in Duluth was named best in the country by the Jr. NBA.
The stories above are only the beginning. Every day, hundreds more success stories come to life through the work of The Salvation Army, its donors and its volunteers.
Help celebrate National Salvation Army Week by getting involved. Here are two easy ways to make an impact:
- In honor of our founding year, will you make a difference in somebody’s life by pledging to donate $18.65 monthly? This works out to just 61 cents per day and will ensure we can provide life-changing services in your area.
- Sign up to volunteer at one of our locations in the Twin Cities, Greater Minnesota and North Dakota.