Salvation Army 2015

150 years of kindness The Salvation Army celebrates 150 years of meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those in need.

30 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

Salvation Army 150 th Anniversary

MARCHING ON

Salvation Army celebrates 150 years of helping those most in need

By MERYL FISHLER

W

illiam Booth’s mission was to help feed the hungry and homeless and lift up the thieves, prostitutes and drunkards who needed salvation in the abject poverty of London in 1865. As he helped people one at a time, he probably never could have imagined that his mission — which he named the Salvation Army — would be serving in 124 countries around the world and meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those in need 150 years after his vision became a realization.

This year marks the Salvation Army’s 150th

anniversary internationally and it has been a social service provider in the Southwest since 1893. The Salvation Army has a presence in 127 countries and nearly 8,000 centers of operation are in place across the United States. The Salvation Army will be honoring this historic milestone with a 150th celebration event on Nov. 12 at the Arizona Biltmore, which will showcase the Salvation Army’s rich history from London to the impact it’s had in Arizona.

“We are hoping that this event will also be a launch for our strategic outreach of continuing to meet the

150 years of history

1865 The Salvation Army begins when William Booth, a London minister, took his message to the poor, the homeless, the hungry and the destitute.

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1882 The first Salvation Army band was formed by accident when the Frye family offered their services as bodyguards to street preachers.

Ways to help Monetarily: According to the Army’s most recent annual report, more than 80 cents of each dollar donated to The Salvation Army is used to fund direct services for people.

Volunteer: Support helps the Army ensure each dollar donated is directed to services.

Donation of goods: Money raised from the sale of these items in the Army’s thrift stores directly support the Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Program.

Information: salvationarmyphoenix.org

growing needs of those who come under our influence each day,” said Lt. Col. Joe Posillico, the southwest divisional commander for the Salvation Army.

Impact in Arizona

Marlene Klotz-Collins

Lt. Col. Joe Posillico

The Salvation Army’s presence in Arizona dates back to before statehood, when Captain William McIntyre founded the Army in Phoenix. The Army’s first unit of operation in the state was at one of Phoenix’s most notorious saloons, “The Road to Ruin,” Posillico said. Once the saloon was taken over by the Army, it was renamed “The Road to Heaven” and Mclntyre led open-air religious meetings

1891 The red Christmas kettle debuted in San Francisco as a crab pot to help the hundreds of local seamen and longshoremen who were out of work.

1893 The Salvation Army established its roots in Arizona, providing services to the homeless, working poor, children, youth, addicted, elderly, and abused.

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Salvation Army 150 th Anniversary to attract converts to the faith, while also helping the needy, said Marlene Klotz-Collins, a volunteer and member of the Salvation Army Phoenix Advisory Board for 32 years. Â The Army quickly spread to Prescott and Tucson.

Since then, the Army has had a significant impact in the state, from serving those in the 1930s who ran out of money while traveling through Arizona en route for California, to opening different community centers.

Today, the Salvation Army operates across the state with different communities centers and social service outreach. There are 25 corps serving communities with countless social services, ranging from helping the homeless to substance abuse recovery to helping disadvantaged youth. Additionally, there are 35 service extension units serving the rural areas of Arizona that are too small to support a full corps, Posillico said.

The Army also has two adult rehabilitation centers, one in Phoenix and one in Tucson. Each center offers a free six-month substance abuse recovery program.

The Army also operates low-income senior housing, a homeless shelter and a domestic violence shelter.

Meeting the needs Collectively, these operations and a host of other

150 years of history

1906 The great San Francisco earthquake. The Salvation Army responded to the disaster.

Operation cost? $4 million, The Army’s entire resources for the year.

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1929 Great Depression. Social services increased 700 percent. Soup kitchens fed the homeless, unwed mothers homes remained open by donations from local farmers and merchants.

“There are many individuals, foundations and companies that have shown their trust and support of the Army in the new avenues we have taken programs address emergency assistance needs, disaster services, help for seniors, aid to the military, holiday dinners, academic and sports programs for youth and daily meals provided to shut-ins.

“I believe the Salvation Army has a profound impact on Arizona, particularly when focusing on the enormous range of programs and services provided throughout our state,” Klotz-Collins said.

The Salvation Army touches a lot of communities in Arizona, whether it be through one of its community centers, low-income housing residences, social service outreach, substance abuse programs or one of the local community based service extensions.

“With the exception of the government, the

1934 The Salvation Army gets its first female general in Evangeline Booth, daughter of founder William Booth.

Before her appointment, Evangeline Booth was national commander in America from 1904-1934.

Salvation Army may well be the largest provider of social services in Arizona, touching countless areas of need,” Klotz-Collins said. “The Salvation Army not only provides a pathway of hope to those who need it most, it is also one of the best kept secrets.”

Arizona accomplishments Among the Salvation Army’s significant accomplishments in Arizona is the construction and opening of the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center at South Mountain. Since the opening of the Kroc Center, the Salvation Army has been exposed to new sources of trust and development, Posillico said. The state-of-theart center has increased and enhanced the programs

1941 During World War II, The Salvation Army led the charge for the creation of the USO. Red Shield Clubs offered servicemen the hospitality of a “home away from home.”

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Salvation Army 150 th Anniversary OFFICE SPACE: This trailer was loaned loaned to the Salvation Army by SRP while the Broadway Youth & Family Center was being built. It was an administrative office, where all the plans were done for youth and family programs and where children did their after-school programs.

Pictured with the two boys is Captain Joe Noland, the Salvation Army’s corps officer at the time, who was called down from Flagstaff to build and open the center.

Noland’s rank is now commissioner.

150 years of history

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2000

2001

The Salvation Army joined a collaboration of NGOs, government agencies and civil societies to combat worldwide poverty through the UN’s Millennium Development goals.

After the Sept. 11 attacks, the Salvation Army showed compassion under fire, setting up an emergency disaster services operation at Ground Zero. It is here that the Salvation Army was able to serve rescue and response workers looking for food and rest.

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and services that were offered at the original Salvation Army facility, which opened in 1968 and has consistently served the community for more than 40 years.

“There are many individuals, foundations and companies that have shown their trust and support of the Army in the new avenues we have taken,” Posillico said. “We believe we are on the verge of taking all of this to the next level.”

Another significant Arizona achievement is the newly rebuilt Herberger Campus, which houses the Salvation Army’s administrative, social services, and shelter facilities, in addition to the warehouse for its Christmas and food distribution program.

The Salvation Army also has a number of new and upcoming projects: The Salvation Army has moved the West Valley Sun City Community Center to a new 35,000-square-foot facility off Bell Road and the Avenue of the Arts.

Construction has also started on a new 10,000-square-foot community center in Sierra Vista.

A new 40,000-square-foot Hospitality House and Social Service Center was built in Tucson and opened last summer.

Yuma will be seeing a ground breaking for a new Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club facility in the next few weeks.

Posillico said strategic planning over the next 5-10 years will include programs in Chandler, Estrella

2012 The Salvation Army’s Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center at South Mountain opened and its programs in arts, education, recreation, wellness and spiritual guidance have served more than 42,000 people with approximately 60 percent of those being children.

Mountain, Flagstaff, South Tucson, Maryvale and the Camp Ponderosa campus in Heber.

Filling a need Salvation Army officials said the organization’s programs attempt to address the overall needs of individuals, including their physical, social, mental and spiritual needs.

“We are motivated by a spiritual calling from God and a drive to help individuals reach their full potential and to be stable in their lives in those four areas of need,” Posillico said.

In addition to the Salvation Army’s 150th anniversary, this year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Christmas Angel program, which helps more than 50,000 Valley children every Christmas season, Klotz-Collins said.

“I will always consider being part of the team involved in the formation and ongoing growth of the Christmas Angel program as my greatest privilege and accomplishment with the Salvation Army,” Klotz-Collins said.

More than a century and a half later, the Salvation Army still responds to many of the same issues that its founders, William and Catherine Booth, faced in 1865.

“They gave humbly and with heart and soul to serve mankind,” Klotz-Collins said. “That sense of mission and humble spirit will never change.”

2015 The Salvation Army helps more than 34 million people through programs and services addressing poverty, domestic violence, homelessness, hunger and addiction.

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You know us for our red kettles.

That’s just a drop in the bucket.

To feed, to clothe, to comfort, to care. That is our mission.

Thanks to your support, The Salvation Army serves nearly 30 million Americans each year. From disaster relief and

domestic violence outreach to homeless services and youth programs, we help children, families, and adults here in the Valley. To learn more, visit salvationarmyphoenix.org.