Notes from the Field

Jessy Williamson, who serves on The Salvation Army Chicago Junior Advisory Board, submitted this post for our Notes from the Field blog.  Thank you, Jessy!

The Salvation Army Chicago Junior Advisory Board (JAB) began in 2009 with a group of friends interested in getting involved with The Salvation Army Chicago Metropolitan Division. As the average age of Chicago’s Salvation Army donors is over 65, the group recognized a need for them to help spread the word about The Salvation Army and its programs and services among the younger Chicago community.

The Chicago JAB is now comprised of more than 50 young adults from various industries, peer groups and backgrounds. The group supports many of The Salvation Army Chicago Metropolitan Division’s different services through volunteer work, fund raising and exposure among their peers and networks to help those in need in the Chicagoland area.  They work closely with The Salvation Army to stay in the loop about events, services and volunteer opportunities. Someone from the JAB attends every monthly Chicago Advisory Board meeting and two Salvation Army representatives oversee the JAB’s activities and act as its liaison to The Army.

In the past year, the group has implemented an executive committee to oversee areas such as membership, fund raising, volunteer, social and public relations. Through these leads, they participate in a wide variety of Salvation Army programs, hold social events and get their friends and families involved to help increase awareness about The Army.

In 2011, the JAB held its first “Back to School Bags Tournament,” which raised money for school supplies to benefit the children at LaVillita Community, held a “Christmas in July” Red Kettle fundraiser, ran a bowling fundraiser/coat drive, conducted mock job interviews, hosted computer lab hours at Army centers, participated in the “Hope Fore Kids” Golf Classic, packaged Christmas food boxes and more.

In 2012, the JAB looks forward to continuing to grow their membership and finding new ways to make a difference the Chicago community serving people in need by “Doing the Most Good.”

Having helped introduce The Salvation Army presence to the United Arab Emirates via chairing the inaugural Mid-East Regional Advisory Board, I was delighted, honored, and humbled to be inducted into the National Advisory Board at our recent San Diego meeting in January.  What an amazing group of individuals with whom to work; what an incredible institution and inimitable force for positive change the Army is!

I am struck by the realities and similarities of need across the globe — as we learned from our inspirational visit to the flagship Kroc Center, human trafficking victims in San Diego echo the same heartbreak I heard daily from Filipino human trafficking victims in Abu Dhabi.  And how powerful is the Army’s response to that need!    I have been busy sending off emails to the Mid-East Advisory Board so that they can experience the fact that they too are part of and represent that incredible force on the other side of the globe.

I shall never forget the moment when I walked out of our weekly Anglican Church service one Friday morning to find a banner proudly displayed across the entrance announcing that “The Salvation Army is here!”

An answer to our prayers for a Salvation Army presence in the UAE, after spending 18 months of providing assistance for Filipino refugees at the Filipino Embassy-run safe house for abused housemaids and 18 months of helping subcontinent laborers who struggle to send money home so their children and families can eat.  I knew that God answers prayer, but rarely do we get such a tangible result!

And I shall always be grateful for the Army’s international reputation for truly “doing the most good” — as Major Mike Hawley and I struggled to build a strong and purpose-filled Board, the Army’s reputation preceded us, marching along triumphantly and encouraging community leaders to step up to the plate.

Now, as our family repatriates to our home community here in Pittsburgh in the US, and as I rejoin the Salvation Army presence, both in my local, Western Pennsylvania Advisory Board and the National Advisory Board, I am inspired, humbled, and challenged by the work that confronts us:  increased need combined with decreased funding, particularly here in our Pittsburgh community, ongoing Board development challenges at the local and National levels, and firm establishment and entrenchment of the Army presence in the Middle East.

These global, large challenges do not intimidate me, though, as I contemplate the commitment and strength of the Army standing shoulder to shoulder with its local, national, and international Advisory Boards.

And now,  to roll up my sleeves and get to work!

Left to Right: Commissioner Nancy Roberts, National Commander Commissioner William Roberts, NAB Member Pamela Abdalla, NAB Chair Charlotte Jones Anderson

I learned about the Salvation Army about the same time that I found out I was not poor.  I was six.

My parents explained to me that only poor kids could get free milk at school, and then I saw the same classmates who got the milk and their parents being given packages by people dressed in uniforms. When I asked my grandfather who those soldiers were, he told me – and I quote him verbatim – “They are very nice people. You can always trust them, even though they aren’t Jewish.”

That was a long time ago.

I have learned a few other things since and I have forgotten a lot, as well. But I always remember that charming image of the Army in action and my grandfather’s words. Even in that now romanticized place and time – small town America in the 1950s – there were needy people. The world is no easier today, and those “very nice people” in uniforms are still here lending a hand.

I am a lawyer in private practice, and I think that I am good at what I do.  However, I am always trying to find better ideas and methods. Success and failure fascinate me, as does the way in which people perceive what success and failure are.  I pay attention to who pursues challenges and who does not.

The Salvation Army offers a powerful example of success through sustained effort to do challenging tasks. Indeed, it is impossible to find any organized group of any sort that has consistently excelled at anything for so long.

I do not believe one can waste time, because it is not ours to waste.  I do believe that you can lead your life in better or worse ways.

While any good deed, any act of loving kindness is praiseworthy, I am grateful that good fortune acquainted me with the Salvation Army so early in my life and that education and experience have shown me that being a supporter of the Army offers ways to a more purposeful life, as time goes by.

I encourage you to help.  Remember, you will be working with “very nice people.”

Submitted by Alan Gover,  Member of The Salvation Army Greater New York Advisory Board

I just returned from the National Advisory Board meeting in San Diego and there are lots of good things going on.  I serve on the Business Administration Committee of the National Advisory Board.  The mission of this committee is to “achieve maximum efficiencies and appropriate economies in the Army’s administration of business functions, with a particular focus upon Adult Rehabilitation Centers and Kroc Centers.”

We finalized a contract with Indiana University to test the feasibility of developing a Salvation Army Human Needs Index that would reflect the current trends in human needs issues around poverty. Because the Army collects massive amounts of data every month, it would be on a real time basis.

The Index would be published monthly and help increase awareness of poverty in the United States as well as offer the Army an opportunity to describe some of our programs that address poverty and other human needs.  Phase I of the study will evaluate all the data and determine if this is feasible.

We will be taking a survey of U. S. residents within the next two months that evaluates the awareness of poverty in the United States and the Salvation Army role in addressing poverty issues.  It will also offer their impressions of relative comparisons to other non profits on this issue. This study would be great background for the other work the Salvation Army is doing in poverty.  A similar survey was done in Canada and became the background for the Canadian Salvation Army’s advertising theme for that year.

We will be drafting a Report to America by the end of June to better convey to the public the work of the Salvation Army.  While we typically publish meals served, nights of shelter, etc, this report will attempt to capture the depth and breadth of our programs in a clear and concise manner.  This recommendation came out of our continued frustration of other studies that indicate we are not well understood by the public. Eventually, this study would incorporate outcome based data such as number of clients rehabilitated and returned to society in a productive role or the results of area crime and other statistics in areas before and after Kroc Centers are constructed.

In the Fall of 2010, the chair of the Christmas Luncheon for the Dallas Women’s Auxiliary, Heather Furniss, was talking to Margot Perot asking her to be Honorary Chair for the Luncheon.  Margot agreed, but only if Heather would work to get younger women into the Auxiliary.

Heather, Margot and Ruth Altshuler brain-stormed on the idea and an approach was made to Michelle McAdam, Ruth’s 20-something granddaughter who had just graduated from SMU.  Michelle agreed to head up a new Junior Auxiliary group made up of women in their 20s.  At the introductory meeting in November, 70 young women attended and many joined this new group.

By the first of the year, more than 100 young ladies had joined this new “Junior Auxiliary Committee” of the Dallas Women’s Auxiliary.  While they were not active in the traditional monthly Auxiliary meetings, as a group they volunteered on a monthly basis at the Carr P. Collins Social Services Center doing special projects with the women and their children living there.  They held their own monthly meetings which included a Bible Study, and participated on many other one-off volunteer opportunities with the Army. In August of 2011, Michelle McAdam stepped down as the chair of this Auxiliary committee because she was off to Paris to study for a year.  Elizabeth Phillips, a committed young woman who had been involved from early on, took over the leadership as Michelle left the area.

However, as young women, they were also interested in projects and get-togethers that would include men in their age group.  Over the next few months, they worked on their plan to incorporate men into their group and to get men to take on the same leadership roles in the group that the women hold.  On Sunday, October 30, 2011, they held a membership cook-out which over 200 young men and women attended, with many signing up and paying their membership fees for this new group.  In addition, there is a male counterpart to every female leadership position, which is proving to bring a balanced perspective to the planning of events.

Additionally, this junior group wants a new name and they have been working with the naming department of The Richards Group to come up with something unique to them, but a name that will also work across the US in case this group can be replicated in other cities.  It is hoped that we are able to “roll out” the new name by February.

Since the membership drive cook-out, the co-ed junior group has held a “ring the bell” get-together for the purpose of gaining new members and getting folks to sign up to ring the bell.  A Christmas party was held at a local restaurant with 100 in attendance and most bringing toys for our Christmas program.  The group gained permission to ring the bell at a new location in an upscale shopping area and have staffed that location throughout December.  This is all in addition to still volunteering with the women and children staying at the shelter.

As of today, there are 200 dues-paying members of this junior group.  While they are no longer considered a committee of the Dallas Auxiliary, the Auxiliary still watches over this group that was formed out of their initiative.  Quite a few of the members of this new group are children and grandchildren of Dallas Auxiliary and Advisory Board members, and it is exciting for the elder Board Members folks to see the involvement of the younger generation in an organization that they support.

The next step is to edge this group closer to a “Board-type” status, involving them in policy making and advice giving on how The Salvation Army can further our mission via this group’s involvement.

Story submitted by:

Major Ward Matthews, DFW Area Commander

Greetings!

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas season and experiencing great success at both the kettles and angel trees in your markets.

I wanted to share with you some fun and exciting things happening in Phoenix with the formation of a Red Kettle Club at a high school, Corona del Sol, in Tempe, Arizona, under the leadership of Katie Wilkinson.

Under Katie’s leadership, the club solicited school-wide support for their Red Kettle Day on December 3. They ended up having other clubs on campus ringing, student instrumentalists and vocalists. They stood kettles at two doors of Fry’s (Kroger’s) on a cold and rainy day. Their sponsor stayed the full 10 hours, their principal and one of his assistants rang for more than an hour, the district superintendent came by with a jar full of coins and club members were there throughout the experience until the 8p closing. Final tally: $1,342.81! HUGE.

Katie and her officers already have club members scheduled to work at the Tempe distribution center one evening.  She is planning a Salvation Army donation day at her school after the first of the year and working on at least another project or two to benefit the Army before the school year ends in May.

At the Phoenix Advisory Board’s appreciation luncheon for supporters last week, we surprised Katie with a special award as founder of the first high school Red Kettle Club in the country. While she thought she was attending with her mother and grandmother, we also invited her dad, brother, grandfather and school principal as a surprise.

We also presented her principal with a Red Kettle Award to acknowledge the school’s support of her efforts and our organization.

In every way, it was a great week for the Red Kettle Club and The Salvation Army as we work together to engage a new generation of support.

I might add that Katie is not a newcomer to The Salvation Army. She has been working at our warehouse for several years with her family. Her family also began adopting a kettle location three years ago. And her grandparents have been quiet “Christmas Angels” for decades when we run short on toys and need a cash bump (!) to get us through the next day’s distribution. Katie herself is an academic achiever, as you would imagine. She is active in multiple campus activities, community theater and, as a hospice volunteer, has developed a wonderful friendship with the hospice patient to which she has been assigned.

We are grateful for her, for her school’s support and, most importantly, her family’s embrace and understanding of the vital work of The Salvation Army.

I’m sure Katie would be happy to share any of her materials with others. And we would love to hear of other special activities happening, especially those that are encouraging the youth/young adults of our country to reach out and touch The Salvation Army.

Merry Christmas!

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettles will be jingling and jangling with more than just coins (or dollar bills) this Christmas season. The Salvation Army in partnership with Universal CityWalk are proud to present the second annual Rock the Red Kettle Concert, with host Mario Lopez of Extra,  featuring  a mix of today’s top young stars, including Honor Society, Colbie Caillat, Cody Simpson, Greyson Chance, Drake Bell and Hanson, along with other special surprise guests. This free concert, which is open to the general public and supports the Army’s 120^th annual Red Kettle Campaign, will begin at 5 p.m. PST, at Universal CityWalk’s new, state-of-the-art “5 Towers” outdoor concert venue in Los Angeles.

In keeping with The Salvation Army’s continued efforts to reach young and aspiring American philanthropists, the concert will also be streamed live at

Cambio.com/rock-the-red-kettle, where supporters can click to donate while watching the show. Donors can also make a $10 donation to the campaign by texting the word “GIVE” to 80888 through December 24. *

“We’ll be rocking the red kettle yet again this year!” said Major George Hood, National Community Relations Secretary for The Salvation Army. “We are honored by the creativity and enthusiasm of these bands. By performing at our second annual Rock the Red Kettle Concert, they will be helping to educate America’s youth about the importance of giving all year round, starting with The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign this Christmas season.”

The Rock the Red Kettle Concert will raise awareness for The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, the oldest annual charitable fundraiser of its kind in the United States. Money raised during the campaign helps the Army serve nearly 30 million Americans in need each year in communities nationwide through a wide array of programs including toys for kids, coats for the homeless and food for the hungry.

Pop superstar and Grammy award winner Enrique Iglesias performed for The Salvation Army’s 15^th annual Red Kettle Kickoff during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the Miami Dolphins.

The nationally televised performance launched The Salvation Army’s 120^th annual Red Kettle Campaign, which began on the wharf in San Francisco in 1891 and has spread worldwide to raise money for people in need.

Last year, the campaign recorded a record $142 million, mostly in small denomination donations from holiday shoppers. This year, the nation’s oldest and longest running fundraiser will continue to expand its partnerships and use of technology to give donors and volunteers more ways to help others.

“Together, the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army bring something special to Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season, when so many people are working hard to make ends meet,” said Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. “When we combine that with the star power of Enrique Iglesias, millions of viewers will know that they can make a difference in their community by making a contribution into a red kettle.”

Left to Right: Charlotte Jones Anderson, National Commander Comissioner Roberts, Jerry Jones

“Thanksgiving is a time when we stop to reflect on all of God’s blessings,” said Commissioner William Roberts, National Commander for The Salvation Army. “It’s also a time when we remember all those across the country and around the world who are less fortunate.

We are grateful to have so much support from Enrique and the Cowboys, as well as our corporate and retail partners who make this possible.

And, we send a special thanks to the 25,000 bell ringers who stand on street corners and sacrifice their time and effort to help others.

On behalf of The Salvation Army, Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas.”

The Phoenix temps have fallen from triple digits and there was a refreshing breeze as we toured the Kroc Center with Mary Murphy, senior program specialist for Arizona Governor Jan Brewer’s Office for Children, Youth and Families.

Colonel Olin Hogan, Major Guy Hawk, Mark Sorensen and I were enjoying our time, showcasing the massive center which is now on the down-side of the construction calendar. Mary was in awe of the magnitude, impressed, excited and even grateful for the opportunities that will be provided when our center opens in the spring of 2012.

As we toured, I began chatting about the myriad services offered by The Salvation Army and commenting, as I often do, that many people only recognize the Army for its family stores or familiar red kettles during the holidays. “Oh, not me,” Mary said. And then she shared her Salvation Army story. The details were vivid and, quite obviously, never to be forgotten.

Lefto to right: Major Guy Hawk, Marlene Klotz Collins (NAB member), Mary Murphy, Colonel Olin Hogan touring the Phoenix Kroc Center

“I was five years old,” she started, “and we lived in Minot, North Dakota.” She went on to describe in detail a horrific flood that overtook her community in the middle of the night. Her family was awakened at 3 a.m. by rescuers pounding on the door. They came in boats to carry away the family. “It was the first time I ever saw my daddy cry,” she remembered. And then, she said, she saw The Salvation Army. “I will never forget them. They were in the boat, helping us to get in. I was so afraid. And as soon as I sat down, they handed me a carton of chocolate milk. It was the first time I had ever had chocolate milk.”

I stopped our small tour group and asked that she share her story with the others. I was deeply touched and so inspired, once again, by the way in which The Salvation Army touches lives. To have a beautiful young woman express such gratitude and understanding of what our Army represents, these many years later, was a very special moment.

It brought the whole tour experience full-circle. The Salvation Army is in the business of touching, changing, even saving lives. And whether they do it through a multi-million dollar community center . . . or a carton of chocolate milk . . . those who are touched will remember it forever.



Thanks to the Central Territory and Midland Division for hosting an exceptional National Advisory Board meeting in St. Louis last week. Under the Central Territory leadership of Commissioners Paul and Carol Seiler, Majors Lonneal and Patty Richardson and the ever helpful hand of our own NAB member, Mark Abels, we experienced a wonderful gathering. What struck me throughout was their ability to host such a gathering on the heels of the disasters they have experienced, and response they have offered, in just the past few months. Amazing. And “so Army.”

Commissioners Paul & Carol Seiler with NAB member Elizabeth Koch

Now, on to highlights of our time together.

The CEO breakfast on Thursday morning was the largest we have had.  It was an outstanding opportunity to meet community leaders from St. Louis and inform them about The Salvation Army. On this day, we learned a lot about the extraordinary support the Salvation Army receives from this community. The Midland Division wisely used the breakfast as an opportunity to shine the spotlight on three individuals and corporations, in particular, and honor their commitment and generosity.

The owner of Schnucks Food Stores was presented an award for their outstanding support. The owner of the Wehrenberg Theatres was also recognized for their exceptional support of the Army.  The COO of the St. Louis Rams, who will chair this year’s Tree of Lights campaign for St. Louis, gave inspiring and impressive remarks about his organization’s support of the Army. We also heard from David Steward, CEO of World Wide Technologies, a billion-dollar, privately-held company based in St. Louis.

NAB chair, Charlotte Jones Anderson, provided the ever-inspiring story of how the Red Kettle campaign was launched so many years ago. As always, she and her team have been working on this year’s National Kettle Kickoff since the day after Thanksgiving of last year.

In presenting the devotions at the opening of our Plenary Session, I had the opportunity to remind our members of the extraordinary role our Salvation Army performed during 9/11 and the moments, days and years since then. We all can take great pride in the immediacy of our response, as always, and the compassion, care and leadership shown throughout our response to the devastation and horror of those terrorist attacks.

Bobby Lyle gave a beautiful tribute to Charles Wyly at Thursday’s Plenary Session. We were reminded that the depth and breadth of Charles’ compassion and grace extended far beyond his enormous and significant embrace of The Salvation Army. He will never, ever be forgotten.

We welcomed new members to the National Advisory Board:  Gary Brown, Bill Burke, Marcia Larson and Gaddi Vasquez.

L to R: National Commander Commissioner William Roberts, Gary Brown, Bill Burke, Marcia Larson, Gaddi Vasquez, NAB Chair Charlotte Jones Anderson

• Gary Brown is CEO of Mount West Investments and son of former NAB member, Duncan Brown. Gary is a member of the Pittsburgh Advisory Board.

• Bill Burke is SVP of Marketing at Nationwide Financial in Columbus and active on the advisory board in Columbus.

• Marcia Larson is with Dow Jones in New York and has been very active on our youth initiatives for the past several years. She introduced our general session on Gen X at NAOC.

• Gaddi Vasquez is returning to our board, a highly-recognized leader in the Hispanic community and the first Hispanic American director of the Peace Corps (serving from 2002-2006).

We also learned that this was Deborah Brittain’s last board meeting, as she is rotating off after nine years of dedicated service. We will look forward to seeing her at many more meetings in the future. We always value and appreciate and encourage participation by our Emeritus members.

NAB members Deborah Brittain and David Frauenshuh

Thanks, Deborah! And welcome Gary, Bill, Marcia and Gaddi

Committee Meetings

The following committees met:  Advisory Board & Human Resources Development Committee; Business Administration Committee; Community Relations Committee; Financial & Institutional Development Committee; Executive Committee

Meeting of the Advisory Board & Human Resources Development Committee

Evening Program

Once again, our thanks to the Midland Division and their leaders, Majors Lonneal and Patty Richardson, for their role in our NAB meeting. On the evening at the Gateway Citadel, we heard from Majors Richardson, Colonel Paul Seiler and the Greater St. Louis Corps Choir/Band. The video presentation is a strong reminder of the horrific tornadoes and enormous disaster relief efforts provided by The Salvation Army in the past few months.

Majors Lonneal & Patty Richardson, Midland Divisional Leaders welcoming NAB members to evening program at the Gateway Citadel Worship & Community Center

L to R: Mary Theroux, Sally Harris, Jason Howard, David Theroux, Marcia Larson, Meredith Counce

The full board meeting convened the following morning, chaired by Charlotte Jones Anderson.