The Salvation Army will turn the tables on local volunteers during the coming week.
"It's just a good opportunity for us to say, thank you," Maj. Robert Winters said in anticipation of National Salvation Army Week, which begins Monday. "When you think about the folks that support the (Salvation) Army — our volunteers and clients — that's pretty much (all of) Longview."
Jacob Croft Botter/News-Journal Photo |
Ronda Canci seperates clothes Tuesday at the Salvation Army store in preparation for Saturday's sidewalk sale.
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For National Salvation Army Week, the local outpost is hosting a cookout Tuesday, and plans a sidewalk sale Saturday at its Thrift Store.
Winters is in charge of Longview-area operations, which served about 42,000 meals and provided nearly 15,000 overnight beds in the year that ended Sept. 30, 2007. The local outfit also provided nearly 31,000 pieces of clothing or other items, distributed 5,700 toys and gifts, filled 1,600 grocery orders and helped 407 families with electric bills.
It accomplishes its goals with a small army of volunteers that Winters says is "easily in the thousands."
That's why he is asking volunteers who plan on coming to a cookout Tuesday to call ahead by Monday, to (903) 753-4511, so organizers can get a head count.
"We've got a lot of folks that help us throughout the whole year, particularly at Christmas," Winters said. "They really are the Salvation Army. They are the army behind the Army. Without them there's no way we could do anything that we do. And it is because people believe in the Salvation Army and care about the Salvation Army."
Winters said his and other social help agencies are facing a rising need.
"It doesn't take a whole lot to look out and see why," he said. "Food's going up, prices are going up. There's no meal program that's losing numbers, and it's because there's such a great need."
The Salvation Army is a faith-based outreach, helping people who are homeless and at disaster sites. Winters said the 11 a.m. church service on May 18 will culminate Salvation Army Week.
He said spiritual hunger is keeping pace with the physical kind.
"Folks don't always know what they are looking for, but they know they are looking for something," he said. "We continue to see a lot of people coming to our services."
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If you go
COOKOUT FOR VOLUNTEERS, part of National Salvation Army Week
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Salvation Army, 519 E. Cotton St.
RSVP: Call (903) 753-4511 ext. 205 or e-mail by Monday to judy_varner@uss.salvationarmy.org (requested for head count)
Information: Go to www.salvationarmyusa.org
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SIDEWALK SALE
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
Where: Salvation Army Thrift Store, 518 1/2 E. Cotton St.
Donate: Donations of clothing, furniture and household items are needed; drop items off at Thrift Store from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday; call for pick-up of large furniture in good condition.
