Making a Difference in the Midwest, September 17
Simple actions can mean a lot, particularly during difficult times. It may be donating a few extra pennies or selling a precious possession to help a peer in need, but these individual acts of kindness can have great impact.
Spare Change That Changes Lives
Many Indiana residents have lost jobs or are experiencing pay cuts and reduced hours due to the coronavirus pandemic. To help these individuals and others, Strack & Van Til Food Market has partnered with The Salvation Army. During the annual Checkout Challenge, grocery shoppers can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar. The change they donate helps people within their community. This year, they hope to raise $35,000 through the campaign.
The donations are used by The Salvation Army of Lake County, IN to fund essential programs which offer food, bill payment assistance, household items and spiritual support. This aid helps struggling area residents to regain their financial footing. Through the Checkout Challenge program, small acts of spare-change kindness have the power to change lives.
Bikes for Basketball
Even a global pandemic can’t prevent good sportsmanship from saving the day. When Minneapolis seventh grader Nathan Easty learned that there were children who could not afford to join him on the basketball court, he chose to help. Nathan, his siblings and parents are participants in the Duluth Salvation Army’s Rookie Basketball Association (RBA). The RBA is now in its 32nd year and offers kids from kindergarten through eighth grade lessons in basketball skills development, teamwork and leadership.
Nathan and his mother, Amanda Easty, set the goal of raising $50 by selling the family’s bikes to fund RBA scholarships so that more children could afford to play. The family advertised the sale on social media and word began to spread. Additional bikes were donated, and gently used shoes, too. Nathan’s fundraising efforts even received local television coverage. In total, the bike and shoe sale raised $500 for RBA scholarships.
Individual acts of kindness can make a big difference. Small donations, like those made by Nathan and hundreds of grocery store shoppers, were pooled together to make a big impact. Whether it’s assisting someone in paying the rent or helping a child to play basketball, The Salvation Army is there to help those in need. Please join us in Doing the Most Good.