Social Networking Sites and The Salvation Army
High School students are now required to complete 400 hours of voluntary service in order to graduate. With this new requirement in place more and more young people are seeking volunteer opportunities. The Salvation Army sees the youth in our community as a vital resource not only for voluntary service but also as a our future leaders. Young people are wired into technology and look to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace as a way to stay constantly connected. With this in mind, The Salvation Army of Battle Creek has created a fanpage on Facebook. The page can be found on Facebook at The Salvation Army of Battle Creek, MI. This page contains information about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and the programs & services of The Salvation Army. We continue to look for new ways to engage volunteers, donors, members and young people through technology.
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The 2009 WOOD TV8 Angel Tree Toy Drive has offically started. Share the true meaning of the Christmas season by helping children in need throughout West Michigan. Sign up now to be an Angel Tree Toy Drive collection site.
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With the economy struggling, our neighbors are struggling too and in growing numbers are coming to The Salvation Army for help. If you’re someone who has ever considered volunteering to be a Red Kettle Bell Ringer, you need to know that now is the time we really need your help. To volunteer, click here.
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You can now ring a bell online. Join an existing kettle team, host a new kettle team, register as an individual and then place your virtual kettle on your blog or Facebook profile. Start ringing today. To learn more, click here.
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SALVATION ARMY KICKS OFF ANNUAL RED KETTLE
CAMPAIGN WITH TWO EVENTS
Major Riggs spoke to Pennfield Elementary Students
about how The Salvation Army assists our community
Dirk VanDiver, Principal; Holly McKee, SA Advisory Board Member, Major Thomas E. Riggs, & Connie Cole-Burland, Fourth Grade Teacher
Students at Dunlap Elementary are participating in a special Service Project to raise money for The Salvation Army. Students will be contacting special fundraisers in their classrooms. The project will include lesson's in math by counting the money raised, art with the creation of posters and much more. The Salvation Army wants to thank Connie Cole-Burland for putting this wonderful project together. We also want to thank Principal VanDiver, all the staff and students at
Dunlap for helping our community.
The Salvation Army Kicked Off its Annual Campaign
at Family Fare in Pennfield
Charlie Jenkins, Masonic Temple; Renee Harris, Family Fare Store Director, Major Thomas E. Riggs, & Shirley Clutter, Newton UMC
On Friday, November 20th The Salvation Army started its annual fundraising campaign. This year's Red Kettle
goal is $125,000.
We want to thank Charlie Jenkins, Renee Harris and Shirley Clutter for helping us start this years campaign.
Calhoun Christian Students Pack
Community Cares Gifts at The Salvation Army
SALVATION ARMY RECOGNIZES VOLUNTEERS
On Tuesday, September 29th The Salvation Army honored its volunteers with a dinner and award ceremony. Colonel Frank Walker from the Hart, Dole, Inouye Federal Center was our guest speaker. Our theme for this years event was "Essential Piece-Our Volunteers are a Vital Piece of our Puzzle".
Award highlights include:
This past year The Salvation Army has lost several faithful servants. We lost Joyce Crofton who was our Senior Band Master, Women's Ministries Treasurer, Recruiting Sergeant and long time member and volunteer of the Army. We also lost James Burgett. James volunteered every Christmas. He set up the toy shop, organized our food donations and sometimes was our resident body guard.
We also lost Lola VanDenberg. For those of you who didn't get to meet Lola she was a woman of grit, moxie and determination. She was also someone who didn't have trouble speaking her mind. Lola was our Soup Kitchen Director up until her health made it no longer possible in 2007. She had a great love for her husband, her three children, her grand daughter Paige, her sister Anna and the rest of her family. The only thing to come close to her love of her family was her love of the volunteers that serve in the kitchen and her love of the people who come to Sally's. The song A'Dora sang was Aunt Lola's favorite song. She believed that every person regardless of their present circumstance or situation should be treated with dignity and respect. She truly cared for the people who come to Sally's. She didn't just offer them something to eat. She listened to their stories, cried with them, laughed with them, and prayed with them. She offered advice and sometimes told them things they didn't want to hear, but she always, always loved them. We have a volunteer who knew Lola and is just as dedicated to the people of Sally's. He not only volunteers once a month with his church to cook and serve a meal, but he goes above and beyond by using his own vehicle at his own expense making four stops around Battle Creek to pick up breads and sweets throughout the week. He brings these items down to the kitchen. Because of his love of others the people who come to Sally's not only get a meal but always have something to take home. It is an honor to present the first Lola VanDenberg Kitchen Volunteer Award to Mr. Mike VandenHeuvel.
We also have another Sally's Kitchen volunteer we want to thank. Randy Lehrke volunteers sometimes 5 or 6 days a week helping in Sally's and around The Salvation Army building. He was recently honored by Major Behnke with a key to the city. We truly appreciate Randy's dedication.
In August we know we can count on a call from the Kellogg Company looking for dates when employees can volunteer at The Salvation Army. The Kellogg Company is a huge supporter of the United Way's Days of Caring event. And we are fortunate to be apart of these days of service. Every year Kellogg Employees help us serve the community through volunteer projects. This year, volunteers painted playground equipment. They also cooked and served meals in Sally's Kitchen. We truly appreciate the service of the Kellogg Company employees. We want to thank Kris Leatherman, Kellogg Community Events Coordinator for promoting our volunteer opportunities to her fellow employees and we want to present the 2009 Sally's Kitchen Community Partnerships Award to the Kellogg Company.
Every year The Salvation Army holds an Angel Tree Party. Children from the community are invited to the event where they have an opportunity to play games, enjoy a wonderful meal, and visit with Santa Claus. We have the privilege each year of working with Kellogg Community College, their staff and volunteers for this party. KCC does a wonderful job decorating the cafeteria and santa room for the children who attend. We want to recognize and thank them for their wonderful service and for making each Christmas season even more memorable for children in our community. We also want to thank Terah Zaremba, KCC Manager of College Life, for organizing everything for the event. It is a honor to present KCC with the 2009 Angel Tree Party Award.
For a number of years the Master Gardener's Society of Leila Arboretum has made and donated hundreds and hundreds of Christmas centerpieces for our Christmas Basket program. When families come to pick up their basket volunteers give them one of the centerpieces to take home. They truly enjoy this unexpected surprise. It is a community effort each Christmas to help those in need during the holiday season. We want to thank Connie White for organizing the making of the arrangements. They are truly beautiful. It is a privilege to present the Leila Arboretum Master Gardener's Society with our 2009 Christmas Community Partnerships Award.
We have eight awards to present under our Bell Ringing category. Every year we are blessed to have so many individuals, families, churches and groups who make bell ringing at one of our red kettles a part of their Christmas tradition.
Last year Center Stage Dance Studio reserved two locations and rang from morning until evening. It is a privilege to present them with our 2009 Business Award.
This church has been faithful in ringing for so many years. We know we can count on their service every Christmas. I'm honored to present the 2009 Church Award to Newton UMC and their organizer Shirley Clutter.
In 2008 we had a new elementary school volunteer their service. East Leroy Elementary School students volunteered and raised over $550.00 for The Salvation Army. They earned our 2009 Elementary School Award.
Our award under the High School category goes to Athens High School. Every year Darlene Smith calls me and reserves at least four days where National Honor Society students volunteer their time. I'm pleased to present them with our 2009 High School Award.
Our individual award goes to a dedicated young man who volunteers 30 hours every Christmas ringing a bell. We're pleased to present Jordan Schaefer with our 2009 Individual Award. I also want to thank Jordan's dad Scott for volunteering with him on those cold evenings.
We have two awards to give away under our Service Club category. The first ward goes to the Pennfield Lions Club and Mr. Darrell VanVleet. The lions club is always faithful in their service to the community and their committed to helping The Salvation Army. Darrell could you please come up to receive this award.
Our other service club award goes to the Masonic Temple and Charlie Jenkins. Charlie also get the award for being the first person to call and receive their kettle spots for the upcoming kettle season. I think you called me at the end of July this year. We truly appreciate the Masons and their committed to helping us cover as many of our kettle spots as we can with volunteers.
We want to again thank Colonel Walker for being our speaker. We also want to thank Mrs. Riggs for organizing our dinner, Faith for the invitations, Nate for putting together our programs and A'Dora for her beautiful song.
We also want to thank everyone for coming out tonight and more importantly for partnering with The Salvation Army through volunteering, events, donations and service to our community. We would be unable to provide the services we do without your help. Thank you for helping those in need.
Mayor Visits Sally's at The Salvation Army
Mayor Behnke recently visited The Salvation Army and presented Randy Lehrke (Sally's Kitchen volunteer) with a key to the city.
