on a good note
GPS Squad at the Kroc Center 2nd Anniversary Celebration
GPS SQUAD A NEW WAY TO GIVE! TEXT BY LESLEY HARRIS COLVETT Preston & Collier Roberts
T
he Salvation Army’s motto is “doing the most good” and the GPS Squad in Memphis is helping the organization make that happen.
Launched last year, the GPS Squad is a collaborative effort of students from all over the Memphis community “Giving, Praying and Serving” the Salvation Army and its missions. Children and grandchildren of members of the Salvation Army Auxiliary (the support arm of the Salvation Army) as well as other students around the Memphis area are able to get involved with the GPS Squad. Ages range from children in elementary school as young as first graders to high school students. “This allows moms and dads to volunteer in the community with their children; it’s a great way for families to get involved together. It’s the collaboration of families and teens working for the Salvation Army,” says GPS chair Christina Roberts. Her son Preston, a student at Memphis University School, serves as president of GPS, and Rachel Ducker, a student at St. George’s Independent School, is the vice-president. Christina says she hopes to have officers at each school in the near future, with their presidents serving on a city-wide board. “This structure would give these kids opportunities to develop their leadership skills,” she adds. Technology is playing a key role with the GPS Squad. The group’s first major project, the Kettle Mettle Challenge, used online kettles. The campaign’s “text to give” option raised funds 90 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • March 2015
through cell phone donations, a handy option that allowed people to give by texting a donation amount when they didn’t have cash on hand. GPS members promoted their kettles by using social media. The students set a goal of $6,500 for their first year and raised 92 percent of that amount with their online kettles alone. “Text to give” donations brought in an additional $936. GPS students rang bells at several Salvation Army kettle locations around Memphis, raising an additional $1,562. The GPS Squad provided helping hands in December at the Purdue Center of Hope’s Family Night, when the students decorated cookies and played games with the children in the shelter. The group also volunteered at the Kroc Center’s two-year anniversary celebration last month, assisting with the welcome table, Kids’ Zone and inflatables. As 2015 rolls on, GPS Squad goals include expanding their membership, growing current projects and developing new ideas. According to Christina, the aim is to get young people from all over the area involved, developing community-minded individuals and future volunteers. “The time and effort of these students are priceless gifts to many who might otherwise live on the street,” Christina says. To get involved with the GPS Squad, contact Preston Roberts at prestonroberts12@gmail.com.