Community Relations

Did you know that The Salvation Army was the inspiration behind the popular Christmas song, “Silver Bells”?

Well, we in Phoenix are in the throes of planning a special day around those bells … RED KETTLE DAY: Community for Change.  On Saturday, December 4, our goal is to have volunteers at all the kettles in the metro Phoenix area (includes 13 corps community centers). This should represent about 250 kettles. We are excited about the opportunity.

We are hoping that by eliminating the need to employ at least a fraction of the bell-ringers that day, we will save money while also increasing activity at the kettles. (The first Saturday in December is usually a lower-income day.)

If you have been around bell-ringing for any length of time, you likely are aware that volunteers typically raise more interest and income at the kettles than someone employed to do the same thing.

We have a wonderful case study from last year. Long-time Salvation Army friends Katie and Zach Wilkinson have worked at our Christmas Center for years. We invited them to ring bells one Saturday last year. They brought along a friend (who had a bucket of candy canes). Katie sang and Zach played his clarinet. They were at the site for four hours.

Historically, we have collected about $26 in that four-hour period at that store.

What happened when Katie and Zach came and worked their magic?? (Drum roll) A whopping $381!!

We are committed to creatively engage as many volunteer groups as possible on December 4. We are inviting REALTORS(r), schools, churches, civic organizations, non-profit youth organizations, the opportunities are endless.

The Salvation Army has an enviable position in the marketplace during the Christmas season.  Those red kettles represent a spectacular opportunity for us to bring in a new generation of supporters . . . an opportunity for families to do a “feel good” holiday activity together. . .an opportunity for volunteers from every conceivable background to join in a tradition that is known and felt throughout America.

Yes, those bells are OUR bells. Embrace them. Ring them. Encourage others to ring. It’s Christmas time in the city!

More than twenty years ago Beverly and I bought a place in the Palm Springs area where we intended to live part time while many of my business enterprises began to wind down.

But, you can only play so much golf, and bridge, then you feel the urge to get involved in your adopted community affairs, and to reach out to those less fortunate in life.

We had only minimal involvement with the Salvation Army during our earlier years living in the Bay Area, but we soon noticed a storefront operation in Cathedral City, which had the Salvation Army shield in front, and a lot of activity within.

Offers to lend a hand were immediately met with great enthusiasm, and soon I was asked to help form an advisory board and assist in making plans for the future.

We built that board from scratch. . . first just five of us and two of them were gone in a couple of months.  My wife Beverly joined, then National Advisory Board member Dick Tucker discovered our little operation and he, too, joined up.

We were off and running!

In the years that followed we helped plan and finance a new community corps center.  We bought the land, then helped out with the corps complex and in 2005 the “Dick and Beverly Davis Corps Community Center” was completed.

While it was never our intention to see our name in lights, we are so very proud of the accomplishments that we have seen grow in this desert community.  In spite of its reputation for an opulent life style, much of the desert population is desperately poor, and the work we helped to found has made huge changes in the lives of these less fortunate folks.

So, I suppose the point of this whole story is simply this:

First, I firmly believe that The Salvation Army delivers “the most bang for the buck!”

Second, that The Salvation Army truly changes lives of those in greatest need.

And finally, no one should simply retire and think that one’s life work is done, no matter what your circumstance, there is always just a little more that can be accomplished through our great Army effort.

American soldiers during WW1 couldn't resist Salvation Army doughnuts.

Across America, quite a few television viewers heard about the Salvation Army’s National Donut Day, celebrated June 4.  Weatherman Dave Price of the Early Show on CBS discussed The Salvation Army’s work and importance of National Doughnut Day.  Additionally, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford discussed The Salvation Army’s ties to National Doughnut Day on NBC’s Today Show. MSNBC also mentioned The Salvation Army’s history with this annual tradition.

Here’s the original Salvation Army recipe, just like our “doughnut girls” used to make them on the front lines for American soldiers during WW1. 

Try them out and let us know what you think!

SALVATION ARMY DOUGHNUTS

5 C flour
2 C sugar
5 tsp. baking powder
1 ’saltspoon’ salt
2 eggs
1 3/4 C milk
1 T lard

Combine all ingredients (except for lard) to make dough.

Thoroughly knead dough, roll smooth, and cut into rings that are less than 1/4 inch thick. (When finding items to cut out doughnut circles, be creative! Salvation Army doughnut girls used whatever they could find, from baking powder cans to coffee percolator tubes.)

Drop the rings into the lard, making sure the fat is hot enough to brown the doughnuts slowly. Turn the doughnuts slowly several times.

When browned, remove doughnuts and allow excess fat to drip off.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Let cool and enjoy! This recipe yields approximately 4 dozen doughnuts, so invite some friends to help eat!

The Salvation Army National Headquarters observed the 59^th National Day of Prayer at our chapel service this morning, joining millions uniting in prayer at thousands of events from coast to coast.  The theme is “Prayer, For Such a Time as This” and is based on the verse from Nahum 1:7 which states: “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.”

The Chapel program offered the following guidance on how to P.R.A.Y.:

Praise.  Thank God for what He has already accomplished through Jesus.

Repent.  Confess your sins and shortcomings.  Repent personally and on behalf of our nation.  The Lord is quick to forgive when we come to Him.

Ask.  Ask God to reveal truth, turn our hearts back to Him, and bring healing.

Yield.  Yield to the Lord and recognize He has heard our prayers and will answer according to His will.  He is waiting to provide guidance and direction.

Colleagues from National Headquarters participated in the chapel program, offering prayers for government, church, military, family, education, media, and business.   I’d like to share with you a prayer for business that was offered by our colleague, John Jones, National Brand Management Director in the National Community Relations and Development Section.

Heavenly Father, we pray for this country.  We need Your blessing and guidance as we face economic uncertainty. 

This nation was established to Your glory – One Nation – Under God. . .by men who trusted in You, as they faced perils and dangers of new frontiers, and as they raised a standard of faith for which generations have fought to protect.

We ask that, as You blessed their efforts, that You would bless our efforts as we confront this economic frontier.

Bless all who bear responsibility.  May they be led by You to do what is right, rather than that which is expedient.

Raise up leaders who honor You and exemplify Your principles.

Illumine the mind of management and labor.

May we all gain Christ-like attitudes, and may all we say and do spring from understanding hearts.

May we seek moral objectives together, so that, in united action, we may be resolute for righteousness.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and our Redeemer.

Amen.

National Headquarters offers employees the opportunity to participate in weekly chapel services, held every Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m.

Happy New Year!

We promise to do the most good.

According to Wikipedia New Year’s resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year’s Day. Some examples include resolutions to donate to the poor more often, to become more assertive, or to become more environmentally responsible.

I usually start the New Year with at least a few resolutions. It’s only when I’m honest with myself about the bad habits or attitudes that I’d like to change, along with a deep-down commitment to making the change, that I have any degree of success. I need to keep revisiting my resolutions . . .it helps to keep me on track.

I thought January is a good time for us to revisit The Salvation Army’s promise to serve and do the most good.  Keeping this inspiring message fresh in our mind  may help us align our sights for our journey through 2010.

I am doing the most good.

I am hope.

I am compassion.

I am strength.

I am faith.

I am doing the most good.

I serve a community.

A region.

A nation.

A world.

I serve heroes.

I serve victims.

I serve a sovereign God.

I am doing the mot good.

I am an Army.

Drafted by the Creator.

Commissioned by a man who defied death.

My enemies are despair and destruction.

My ammunition is grace and mercy.

My allies are generosity and benevolence.

I am an Army.

Helping others be all they can be.

I am doing the most good.

I feed empty stomachs and hungry souls.

I rebuild ruined homes and shattered lives.

I am a willing listener for a veteran with stories to tell.

I am a bottled water and an encouraging smile for a weary firefighter.

I am an answered prayer.

A silver lining.

A second chance.

I am doing the most good.

I am a humble steward of other people’s generosity.

I am a grateful courier of a stranger’s kindness.

I am the faithful executor of others’ goodwill.

I take my responsibility seriously.

I am blessed.

I am a blessing.

I am The Salvation Army.

I am doing the most good.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed at Christmas?  Are you pouring over the Christmas shopping list, scheduling parties, preparing for guests or making travel arrangements, writing and mailing Christmas cards? 

Every year, I resolve to start early!  Between now and News Year’s Day, many of us are caught up in the holiday frenzy. This year my goal is to simplify my self-imposed trappings!

Many of us are cutting back this Christmas due to the economy.  According to the Conference Board, $390 is the average amount U.S. households expect to spend on Christmas gifts this year, down from $418 in 2008.  Twenty-two percent plan to spend less than $100. Seven million people have lost jobs since the beginning of the recession.

A colleague remarked the other day that it just doesn’t “feel” like Christmas.  I began to reflect on her remark.  I started to think about what Christmas means to me. I could add more to this list, but to offer a few personal joys in celebrating Christmas, such as:

• Giving gifts to my husband, the grandchildren and dear friends; 
• Hearing Handel’s Messiah and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and singing Christmas carols;
• Seeing the Christmas lights in windows and wreaths on doors;
• Spending the holidays with family and friends;
• Reading the Christmas story of the birth of Christ.

But what can I do to simply my self-imposed trappings and embrace the spirit of Christmas?  Here are some of my thoughts:

• Instead of sending out cards, I can call some dear friends on my list and wish them a merry Christmas. Hearing a friend’s voice on the phone is always heartwarming.
• I can offer a smile and a pleasant greeting to those people who assist me all the time, such as at the bank, grocery store, and drycleaners. 
• I can be more patient when inconvenienced, especially at the post office. Sometimes, I’m in such a rush to complete errands.

Working with The Salvation Army, especially during the holidays, is very fulfilling.  No matter what’s going on in the world or the state of our economy, The Salvation continues to provide for people in need year round. 

The Salvation Army offers many opportunities to celebrate the holiday season by thinking and doing for others:

• Volunteer at a Salvation Army red kettle;
• Gather friends together to serve meals at your local Salvation Army unit;
• Host your own online Red Kettle.

My shopping list is shorter; I’m not sending out as many cards; I’ve hung the wreath on the door; my Christmas tree is smaller.  I feel better by getting back to the true meaning of Christmas. 

Please share your thoughts about your Christmas journey this year.

Change or Die?

In recent days I’ve noticed that several of my staff members have walked into my office and remarked, “Oh how beautiful,” as they are staring outside through my windows.  I have a lovely ground-floor corner office and must admit that I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to what’s going on outside.

Yesterday, after having yet another individual make the same remark while gazing through my windows, I stopped to see what all of the admiration was about.  I looked out my window and there it was.  Beautiful fall trees; bright, bright red leaves on at least two large trees, accompanied by a few more glistening in vivid colors of gold and orange.  At that moment I too said, “Wow!  How pretty.”  And I almost missed it because I was accustomed to only looking inward.

Change is in the air.  Yes, the leaves have begun to change their colors; the night air is a little bit nippier; the average daily temperatures are dropping and for us in Northern Virginia, we have been through several days of steady rain.  You can feel the change and when you look outside, you definitely can see the change.

I have a book in my personal library that carries the title Change or Die.  It is a church growth book and I haven’t read it in several years.  Its message is pretty clear and frankly presented.  The church as we know it from our own perspective; the church of our past and present, is striving to survive amidst a culture that is in rapid and mostly unpleasant change.  The point being made is that we either change or disappear.  For The Salvation Army the reality of change must be observed and addressed in a dual focus – how do we address change as it impacts us as a church, and how do we address change as it impacts us as a charity, solely dependent upon emerging generations of future donors?

My advice to all of us is this – open your windows and take a long hard look outside!  What do you see out there in this new world of mobile devices, dwindling respect for authority, intensely polarized opinions, and compromised values?  How will we survive?  Can we survive?

Change or die?  I believe we need to be open and receptive to change.  I’m certainly not suggesting any changes in our theology, our core values, or our mission.  But what about our tactics, procedures, structure and willingness to explore innovative approaches in outreach evangelism and corps growth on one hand, uniquely paralleled with how we cultivate, relate, sustain and grow our donor base and advisory boards on the other?

Unfortunately, we are notorious for only looking inward.  We thrive on our aggrandizements, Army myth and  folk lore, and sometimes truly believe that we can channel William and Catherine Booth to proclaim how they might react if they were truly with us today.

I’m suggesting to you and me, that we may need to open up our windows and take a long hard look outside, not inside.  What do you see out there?  How will you react to what you see?  What can you efficiently change from what you see from where you are?  How passionate are you about what you see?

Change or die?  It just seems to me, as I take a look outside, the strategies and tactics that we identify today as being the most ripe for change, may be the means by which we win the future.

Major George Hood

National Community Relations Secretary

The Salvation Army National Headquarters

As one who believes in the old adage that we can’t thank our volunteers too many times, I wanted to share a concept we do in Phoenix during the holiday season. I think it’s a fun and different way to say thanks … while sharing some interesting bits of “trivia” about our beloved organization.

We have a very large Christmas Angel program in our community.  Though thousands of families are served through multiple distribution centers, our major center hosts seven distribution days. In preparing the warehouse for each day of distribution, we have large groups of volunteers at the Center the evening before (and on weekend days as well). More often than not, a majority of each evening’s volunteers come from one or two corporations or civic groups. As we work through the evening, one of our board volunteers always takes dozens of photographs of the workers … some posed, some candid.

At the end of the evening, each respective group is invited to pose in front of the shelves that are overflowing with gifts. It’s a very impressive shot. (We also encourage individual families to let us take their photos together as well.)

We then send an e-mail to the corporate organizer to thank them for their assistance … and include countless photos of their employees (and family members) that participated. Included in the e-mail of gratitude are bullet points of interest about the Army. For example, did you know The Salvation Army was the inspiration behind the wonderful Christmas song, Silver Bells? We reiterate how many people are served locally and nationally by the Army (even though we mention this at the end of the evening’s work, it’s good to mention in writing). We share fascinating tidbits of information about the history of the Army. This information about our organization is easily attained for a note of this nature.

When the corporate representative receives our e-mails of photos and information on the Army, s/he forwards it to all the participants and sometimes throughout the organization. At that point, the volunteer effort becomes an even greater point of pride for employees and their families. (We know of at least one family who incorporated their warehouse photo into their annual Christmas card.)

Photographs are a wonderful way to show appreciation. Adding some nuggets of history about The Salvation Army into an e-mail “thank-you” makes the whole acknowledgement even richer and easier to share.

The “Others” award is an important way to give special recognition to those that give important service and assistance to your local Salvation Army.

It is important that your board develop specific criteria for determining worthy recipients, and you will be required to write up the application for ultimate approval at division and territory levels.

While you should carefully consider giving this award annually, there is no mandate to make this on a yearly basis, and in many cases you will want to only give it, as appropriate, and not simply because another year has passed since last awarded.

Suggested criteria might include:

*   Given in recognition of unique and meritorious local service to the Army

*   Create a committee of past award recipients to make recommendation

*   Ideally alternate between internal (board) and external (community)

*   Keep careful records as to past recipients  (never give it twice to the same person!)

*   Only one per year, and consider skipping years, as appropriate

Remember, this is a very significant award, and it should be determined with great care and thought.  Also, be sure to award this, if possible, at an event where the community is in attendance, to give the greatest exposure and recognition to the recipient and the services performed.

We also give lesser awards to deserving individuals which we call “Community Service Awards.”  We have special plaques engraved with suitable Salvation Army logos and identification of the award.  Thus we are able to give wider recognition to deserving community members than otherwise afforded by the once a year “Others” recognition.