Salvation Army Week Recalls Record Highs, Points to Ongoing Need
This week is the 52nd annual National Salvation Army Week and the evangelical body famed for its charity and social work has yet to slow down on its mission to do good in its 126-year history.
The Salvation Army USA has a lot to celebrate about this year. This week is the 52nd annual National Salvation Army Week and with more than 31 million people served in the past year, the evangelical body famed for its charity and social work has yet to slow down on its mission to do good in its 126-year history.
This week marks a call for thank you's to the more than 3.5 million volunteers and millions of financial contributors that have kept the Army in service to the American public. Record high donations and new frontiers have painted the 2005-2006 year for the compassionate organization. And in these seven days, May 15-21, the Army applauds the public's overwhelming generosity but reminds them of the communities across the nation still in need of their help.
Some of the past year's highlights are the Katrina fund that raised $363 million, the second highest collection among all charities and U.S. organizations for the hurricane victims. On top of that, the Christmas Red Kettle campaign took in an overwhelming $111 million, breaking last year's kettle campaign record of $102 million. Despite unprecedented contributions and concerns over financial exhaustion, the American public has proved itself more generous than ever in a year of need.
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"You have made a major impact on our ability to serve others," stated the Southern New England Division of The Salvation Army in a address to the public on their website. "Without you, we could not do our job, nor could we live up to our promise of 'Doing The Most Good.'
"We thank you!"
The annual Army week began in 1954 with President Eisenhower who had commended the organization for its "wholehearted dedication to the cause of human brotherhood." Eisenhower had declared the week of Nov. 28 to Dec. 4 the first National Salvation Army Week. The dates have changed to mid-May.
According to the Army's national statistics that will be published in its 2006 annual report, total centers of operations numbered 8,719; personnel was at 599,615; total persons assisted were 31,299,690; and services provided, including meals served and provisions distributed, were 103,396,224.
Pioneering projects and leadership changes have also taken the Army to new lengths. Currently, some 30 to 40 community centers are in the works across the states. At the will of the late Joan Kroc, wife of McDonald's Corp. founder Ray A. Kroc, who gave the Army a huge sum of $1.5 billion – the largest single donation ever given to a non-profit in the United States – The Salvation Army has spent the last four years planning for the building of Kroc centers. The community centers, which will begin opening in at least a year from now, will serve to fill the needs of people who lack accessibility to resources and opportunities.
The national Army also just recently went under the new leadership of Commander Israel L. Gaither, the first African American to head the U.S. body. Salvationists have expressed excitement for the new leader as they re-committed themselves to the promise of their mission of doing God's good purpose at the installation ceremony last week.
Despite the generous donations received this year, The Salvation Army still needs the ongoing support of the American public to keep the future community centers running and do what they have done for over a century – to give freely of themselves to all Americans, as Eisenhower had noted.
