2024 Annual Impact Report

2024

ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT

The Salvation Army

Empire State Division 200 Twin Oaks Drive Syracuse, NY 13206

Mission Statement The Salvation Army, an international Movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name, without discrimination.

2 A Letter From the Divisional Commanders 3 Impact by the Numbers 4 Divisional Map 5 Sheltering 6 Code Blue 7 Feeding your Friends & Neighbors 8 Emergency & Disaster Services 9 Youth Ministries & Outreach 10 Red Kettles 01

Life is about choices. Some choices are easy: what TV show to watch, what to wear, what to eat, or what time to wake up in the morning. Some choices are more difficult: what school to go to, what job to take, or what car to buy. Some choices are life-changing: who to marry or where to live.

However, for many local families, the choices are never easy. Do I pay the rent or put food on the table for my family? And what if an emergency medical or car repair bill makes its way into the decision process – many local families living paycheck to paycheck just don’t have the resources available to satisfy all these needs.

This is where The Salvation Army comes in to help – so that families don’t have to make these difficult decisions.

Whether making a gift or spending an hour or two as a volunteer, you can be an agent of change by choosing to support The Salvation Army as we assist our neighbors with the difficult choices they face every day.

Did you know that The Salvation Army provides youth experiences that can help make a positive change in a child’s life? Summer camp, along with our music and arts curriculum, gives youth unique opportunities for growth. The Salvation Army is committed to providing these diverse programs to each and every child that comes through its doors.

We often see families who want to learn about more about faith and how it can positively impact their lives. The Salvation Army meets this need through worship and faith-based instruction.

Thank you for your faithful support of our mission.

May God continue to bless you and your family.

MAJORS

Kevin & Cheriann Stoops Annual Impact Report 2024 | Empire State Division

02

265,323

44,202

384,786

4,067,250

108,786

161,216

Volunteer Hours

Meals Served

Volunteers

Emotional & Spiritual Calls

Toys & Gifts Provided

115,033

541,227

Nights of Shelter

03

Food Boxes

Total People Served

Empire State Division

Counties Served

Centers For Service

Volunteer Service Units

48

45

171

Annual Impact Report 2024 | Empire State Division

04

In the middle of the night in late 2023, Victoria, along with her two daughters, made the brave decision to escape a domestic violence situation. Victoria and her girls moved in with Victoria’s mother, until a lack of transportation caused Victoria to lose her job. When the strain of three additional people in a small space became too much, Victoria and her children were referred to the Emergency Family Shelter at Syracuse Area Services, arriving with only the clothes on their backs.

After working diligently with her case manager and staff, Victoria began a job at a local company, often working into the evenings.

Despite the late hours, the staff at the Family Shelter always saved three plates of dinner for the family to reheat when they returned. Later, Victoria would reflect that this was the first time she could remember sitting with her children and enjoying a meal in peace.

One evening, Victoria was speaking with the director of the shelter after returning to the shelter from work when she began crying, overwhelmed with guilt and shame from having her two girls living in a shelter. The director reassured Victoria that her hard work and determination were proof that she was a strong mom who was doing everything she could for her children.

Eventually, Victoria had saved enough money for an apartment for her family. The family received new clothes and essential household items for their apartment and were finally able to go ‘home’ and begin this new chapter of their lives.

The Salvation Army has an open-door policy when it comes to those needing help with housing - all are welcome, and every night we help thousands of men, women, youth and children sleep safely and dream of a better tomorrow.

MORE THAN

115,000 Nights Of Shelter In 2023, The Salvation Army Empire Division provided more than 115,000 nights of shelter to individuals and families like Victoria and her daughters. Salvation Army shelters provide these individuals and families with not just food, a place to sleep and social services, but a true “home” experience.

05

Rick, a guest of one of our Cortland Corps Code Blue Warming Centers is working on re-building a broken relationship with his family. He struggled with substance abuse while living with his mother and was asked to leave - leaving him homeless.

While staying at The Salvation Army Warming Center in Cortland, we assisted Rick with pastoral counseling and provided him with a safe place to live.

At the Warming Center, Rick was able to take daily warm showers and do his laundry. The Warming Center provides snacks, drinks, and personal care items to all guests.

At Christmas time, the staff presented Rick and other guests with Christmas gifts and provided a special dinner. Thanks to support from The Salvation Army, Rick was able to secure a job at a local pizza restaurant and often brought in pizza to share with his fellow guests.

Rick continues to rebuild his relationship with his family. After staying at the center for more than three months, he has returned home able to move his life forward in a positive direction.

Now in its 5th year, The Salvation Army of Cortland’s Warming Center has provided more than 6,000 individuals with shelter and food in partnership with Cortland County Social Services. Last year, we saw a 6% increase of past guests continue to visit The Salvation Army of Cortland and participating in church services.

The Salvation Army operates multiple Code Blue Warming Center locations that provide guests with meals, snacks, and drinks, as well as a place to stay warm during the overnight hours when the outside temperature falls below 32 degrees.

More Than

Similar Salvation Army services are available throughout the Empire State Division including Buffalo, Herkimer, Ithaca, Lockport, Rochester, and Watertown.

These shelters provide clients with a safe place where they are treated with respect and staff help each individual or family with referrals to other agencies as needed.

540,000

Code Blue Familes & Individuals

Code Blue Centers are one the ways that the Empire State Division fulfills its mission of meeting human needs in His name, without discrimination.

Annual Impact Report 2024 | Empire State Division

06

4,412,294 Meals

The Salvation Army is transforming the way we think about feeding the hungry. That’s why we’ve launched and implemented an initiative called Feeding Friends & Neighbors. This program supports the expansion of healthy eating programs throughout the Empire State Division.

In 2023, The Salvation Army served 4,412,294 meals. As the cost of living continues to increase, families in our communities are coming to The Salvation Army for assistance more than ever before.

The Salvation Army in Glens Falls runs a local Home Delivered Meals program – a program they took over during the pandemic and have continued to run ever since.

The program began as a way to deliver warm and nutritious meals to older adults in Warren County through the Office for the Aging and local Senior living communities.

As the need continued to increase, so did the services of The Salvation Army. What started as delivery of three hot meals per person per week, has transformed into a program that delivers five meals per week to each person using the service.

In Massena, we have a food pantry that provides food five days a week. However, as there is no official soup kitchen in the community to provide meals, The Salvation Army is planning on building a new kitchen that will serve more than 250 individuals and families three times a week beginning in the fall of 2024. The new facility will serve between 400 and 500 meals every day and also provide other essential services to individuals and families.

07

Whether it calls for a hug and a prayer, or a compassionate ear, The Salvation Army is always ready to help.

After more than 100 homes in Canandaigua, NY suffered water damage and flooded basements after heavy summer rains, many of the homes were without power for several days. The Salvation Army and many volunteers checked in on the residents, providing them with food, water, and spiritual support.

“No one was expecting this to happen, and most were not financially prepared for this,” said Major Pamela Rhodes of The Salvation Army of Canandaigua. “Luckily this community is full of people who want to, and can, help - if we can provide people some short-term assistance, it goes a long way.”

In Little Falls, NY after a fire in an apartment building several families were displaced and relocated to a local motel. Volunteers from The Salvation Army connected with these families to assess their physical and emotional needs.

Silvia was grieving the loss of her mother in this fire. She needed some extra time to look for suitable and stable housing. The Salvation Army was able to provide her with funds and emotional support to help her stay at the motel for a couple extra nights – giving her the extra time needed to find a more permanent place to stay.

Additionally, The Salvation Army was also able to assist the Jenson Family who had lost most of their belongings in the fire. The family was provided with gift cards to purchase both food and clothing – especially for their children whose only clothing was what they had on when the fire occurred.

The Salvation Army is one of the most well-known and respected disaster-relief organizations in the country.

We serve in nearly every community in the United States. When disaster strikes, we’re among the first on the spot, providing food, clothing, emotional and spiritual support, and more to survivors and first responders.

Annual Impact Report 2024 | Empire State Division

08

The Salvation Army’s Long Point Summer Camp Junior Staff program is designed to bring children 14 years of age and older to camp for the duration of the summer for a job mentoring program. The program focuses on discipline, work ethic, relationship building, job skills, and personal and spiritual growth.

One of last year’s staff members, Shane, who had been a bit of a handful for his single mom, came to camp and flourished. He made a lot of friends, worked hard, and loved his time at camp.

“I saw his mom the month after camp ended and she began crying telling me she didn’t know what we had done to her son, but he is a completely different person,” said Captain Hilary Jones.

Captain Jones added that Shane’s mother shared that she and Shane had fought terribly during the last couple years. Since he returned from the summer camp, they haven’t fought at all, Shane’s grades improved, and he does his chores without being asked.

In Utica, Captains Kelly and Jonathan Ross have taken their youth ministry to the streets – equipped with an ice cream cart.

“I have always loved ice cream and I have seen how it can turn someone’s bad day around,” said Captain Kelly. “Sharing it affords you some time to get to know the child, see how else you can help them, and invite them and their families to The Salvation Army.”

Captains Ross spend a lot of time bringing the ice cream cart to different local events, getting to know the community, and letting people know all about The Salvation Army. They also intentionally visit local apartment complexes and spend time with the children and families there.

The Salvation Army Youth Ministries and Outreach These programs and services help nurture children and show them that there is still hope for a better tomorrow. They provide the building blocks to both spiritual and emotional success.

09

The Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle Campaign supports programs and services in the Empire State Division throughout the year.

New to 2023’s Red Kettle Campaign was TipTap – a new tap-to-pay method for donating to Salvation Army Red Kettles. The TipTap devices give donors the option of making a gift through a contactless payment method utilizing credit/debit cards, cell phones, or smartwatches.

"TipTap has given an easy way for our supporters to make donations that allow us to serve our friends and neighbors in need," said Major Kevin L. Stoops Divisional Commander. “Of course, donors can still put cash or coins in the Kettle, but we wanted to make sure there was a way to donate for those who no longer carry cash.”

The History of the Red Kettle

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle debuted at Christmas in 1891 in San Francisco in the form of a crab pot when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee wanted to provide a free Christmas dinner for those who were unemployed because of an economic depression.

MccFee placed a pot, with a sign that read “Keep the Pot Boiling,” at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street, San Francisco, and soon had the money for festive fare for the needy. By Christmas 1895, about 30 Salvation Army Corps on the West Coast were using a collecting kettle.

Today, families usually receive food baskets, food boxes or grocery vouchers and prepare their own dinners. The homeless still enjoy Christmas dinner and festivities at hundreds of Salvation Army Corps and Centers.

Annual Impact Report 2024 | Empire State Division

10

We pour ourselves into the work we do, but we cannot do it alone.

We need friends like you to join us in the fight for good by giving your time, talent and resources so we can continue serving others.

Every gift is precious – big or small. Thank you for your faithful support.

Create a Free Will

Gift Planning & Life Income Plans

Donor-Advised Fund

Write your will and create your legacy at no cost today.

Provide hope for the future with the gift of a planned donation.

Immediate tax deduction while also deciding when to provide a grant from the fund.

Stocks, Bonds, Funds & IRA Rollover

Donate Goods / Shop Our Stores

Make a gift of your securities to help those who need it most.

Donated goods and money spent in SA Stores fund programs that heal broken lives.

DONATE

VOLUNTEER

Sponsor a Child Overseas

Donate a Vehicle

Airline Miles

Extend love and hope to a child in need in another part of the world.

Help put someone on the road to recovery with a vehicle donation.

Donate airline miles to help The Salvation Army meet the need all over the U.S.

easternusa.salvationarmy.org/empire (800) SAL-ARMY