Released 27 August 2009
by Major Beth Petrie
This Spring Della Miler, Administrative Assistant and lifelong soldier of Des Moines Citadel Corps, noticed an article in the Central Connection newsletter about the Love in Action Valentine's Day projects offered by the THQ Sponsorship Office.
"Wouldn't this be a great alternative to buying our traditional Easter Honorariam/Memorial Lilies that only last a couple weeks?" she asked. "It would have a great deal more meaning!"
This project promotes giving specific items to help those in developing countries. For example, uniforms which are required for any child to attend school are carefully preserved and handed down time and again until threadbare. $30 will provide a uniform! Farm animals give milk, meat, and often an on-going income for a family in desperate circumstances. $30 can supply goats, chickens, pigs or other livestock.
We began to promote the idea. We recently added a corps Facebook page, so it made sense to include info about Love in Action there as well as at the corps. I did this by posting the document as a photo on that page and then tagged as many people as I could who I thought might be interested in participating. This resulted in lots of people from all over looking at the document and considering the project.
The response from our corps people has been amazing! Fifteen individuals and families participated for a total of $1,410.00 - the total we usually get for lilies is about $100!! On Easter Sunday, we handed out representational visuals for folks to hold up showing the number of items they had provided.
A number of people who participated did so out of their own poverty, while another gave from her annual bonus. Family members, both living and deceased, were honored in this unique manner. The sacrificial giving was inspiring - the corps will be doing this again!
For more information about the Love in Action initiative or to donate, contact Sarah Kincaid at (847) 294-2065 or Missions@usc.salvationarmy.org