The Community and Family Services team at The Salvation Army in Burlington, Ontario has a clear goal for the community events they’re hosting this year. Their objective is for everyone to connect, socialize, and take a break from the screens.

The event to kick off this initiative for community connection was a family games night held at The Salvation Army’s Burlington Community Church. People of all ages attended the event. They had a chance to play various board games and enjoy delicious food and snacks.

While many familiar community members attended, there were also some new faces in the mix. This allowed participants and staff to meet new people and build the connections they were hoping for.

Thanks to the success of the community games night, the Community and Family Services is looking to build on this by possibly expanding this event in the future or introducing new programs that bring people together.

The Salvation Army’s music programs for children are legendary, but what about kids who don’t want to sing or play an instrument? At the Astoria, N.Y., Corps in Queens, they can join a children’s painting and art program known as “Brilliant Brushes” instead.

Lieutenant Alex Vargas, the corps officer in Astoria bought canvases, brushes, and paint and started out instructing 10 kids. When another class started six months later, he had 15 eager kids sign up between the ages of 8 and 13. They meet at the corps on Wednesday nights.

Parents love the class, Vargas says, because many of the budding artists have built up their confidence through painting.

In the fall, the class painted pumpkins and learned that everyone is different and unique yet created in God’s image.

The Astoria Corps is also home to a successful sewing program that involves 10 to 15 people on Thursdays. It was started several years ago under Major Claudia Germain, who still teaches the class.

To see if there are programs like this near you, visit SALVATIONARMYUSA.ORG

The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit’s Bed & Bread Program serves more than 4,600 meals each day to men, women and children who would otherwise go without. That’s nearly 1.7 million meals every year. In addition, the Bed & Bread Program provides nearly 52,000 nights of shelter annually. Hats, gloves, socks, personal supplies and blankets are often distributed, along with the meals.

The Salvation Army’s 37th Annual Bed & Bread Club Radiothon just raised over  $1.6 Million dollars to Combat Hunger and Homelessness Across Metro Detroit.

The 27-hour radio fundraiser, held on Feb. 22 and 23, aired on 760 WJR.

Throughout the day, appearances from special guests encouraged the community to donate and help those who are hungry and homeless in metro Detroit. Michigan natives Tim Allen and Lomas Brown also joined business and civic leaders to show their support of The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread Club Radiothon has raised more than $44.8 million in 37 years. For more information, visit SAmetrodetroit.org.

The PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards honor the Pittsburgh area’s best public relations, marketing, and communications campaigns and projects. This year, The Salvation Army of Western Pennsylvania and PMI Digital were recognized for their video spot for The Salvation Army’s LIGHT Project. LIGHT stands for Leading Individuals Gracefully out of Human Trafficking.

Nicole Harell, director of marketing and public relations for The Salvation Army Western PA Division, says the video—which shows that local homes, businesses, and even health care facilities can be hubs for sex and labor trafficking—was made to raise awareness of how human trafficking affects all communities.

Members from both PMI Digital and The Salvation Army accepted the award. Nicole says she was also happy to see more local nonprofits and their initiatives take part in the Renaissance Awards this year than in the past.

For more information on the LIGHT Project, visit http://salvationarmywpa.org/lightproject and follow @TheLIGHTProjectWPA on Instagram.

Situated in Santa Monica, California, Crimson Mediterranean Cookhouse and Society Kitchen restaurants provide dining experiences centered around vibrant cuisine and a warm atmosphere. But for a growing number of Salvation Army Santa Monica Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) graduates, the eateries serve an additional purpose.

“This was the first step to the rest of my life,” said Samuel Valentine, Assistant Manager of Crimson Mediterranean Cookhouse.

Valentine graduated from the Santa Monica Adult Rehabilitation Center in 2016. He said the ARC gave him tools to succeed and maintain sobriety and this job helped him re-enter as a functioning member of society.

Over the last eight years, the restaurants have served as a next step for about 15 men coming from the program.

The owners of the restaurants said that hiring men from the program has proven to be a favorable choice because of their established work ethic and desire to flourish in a new routine.

To read the full story visit caringmagazine.org

March Madness season has arrived as football season fades and basketball has taken its turn on center stage. Meanwhile, the East Harlem Hoops program at The Salvation Army’s Manhattan Citadel is as strong as ever and making a huge difference in the community.

“We get all kinds of young men from the community here for basketball,” says Lieutenant Alvaro Velasquez, an officer at the corps.

Velasquez says the players also helped restore the gym after flood damage a few years ago and are invested in the program. Many have credited East Harlem Hoops with helping quell the gang problem in the neighborhood.

Velasquez says. “There’s no safe space for a lot of people to just come and play sports and stuff like that,” “It’s either this or kind of out in the street. It’s also an activity for them to get involved in something. When people have nothing to do, they get into trouble.”

To find opportunities like this near you visit SALVATIONARMYUSA.ORG

The Salvation Army remains dedicated to assisting survivors and first responders with critical services before, during, and after disaster events. To better their ability to serve, The Salvation Army Southern Territory, in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, recently hosted a Mental Health First Aid training for many of their Emergency Disaster.

Mental Health First Aid focuses on providing individuals with the skills necessary to be the first line of support for those experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. Participants are taught to recognize and respond to warning signs and to serve as the vital link between a person experiencing a new or worsening mental health challenge and appropriate professional support, self-help, or other support strategies.

As disaster and emergency management professionals are often on the front lines of traumatic events, these skills will be an invaluable addition to their toolset. With this training, teams will not only be able to aid disaster survivors but also provide support to team members both in the field and at home.

To learn more or offer your support visit https://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/

Every Wednesday, The Salvation Army in Brockville, Ontario, hosts a fun initiative called the Kids’ Club. This program provides children with learning, games, and even a meal after school. Additionally, it serves as a bridge to connect new families with The Salvation Army.

The program runs from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. And it’s open to students between Grades 2 and 6. During this time, children participate in games, crafts, and a biblical and moral teaching component. They are also served dinner.

While the kids are split into groups during activities, the dinner brings everyone together where the first step towards family connections is taken.

Hearing what the children have to say also allows the staff to learn about each child’s interests. Some of the attendees have connected to the junior band program, and were additionally able to attend music camp with The Salvation Army.

Since its creation in 2022, Kids’ Club has been joined by nearly 80 children from seven different schools.

Despite being a kid’s program, Kids’ Club helps The Salvation Army to connect with families and people of all ages.

Throughout the entire school year, The Salvation Army in Abbotsford, B.C., runs a program that allows students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade to have access to nutritious snacks at any time while at school. The program is called Pantry34.

This initiative started over 15 years ago to fill a need and to complement other school meal programs.

Once the orders are taken and prepared by staff at The Salvation Army, a community partner helps with the delivery to the schools. Teachers or school support workers have the discretion to select students who will benefit from the program.

That’s something that differentiates Pantry34 from other meal programs, is that it is more discreet, and students can access the snacks upon request.

A key highlight of Pantry34 is its focus on providing healthy options to students. This initiative helps students shift their appetite to healthy food and drinks by limiting access to processed products and by encouraging them to follow these nutritious ways outside of school.

After a catastrophic event, recovery comes in waves. First, comes the immediate needs, like food, water, and shelter. But once power has been restored, debris has been removed, and the community at large has slowly started the return to “normal,” there is still much to be done.

In fact, for survivors whose homes have been destroyed, the journey to a new normal has just begun. Even when they manage to find new lodging, they must slowly begin to replace everything else they’ve lost. To address these issues, The Salvation Army partners with government agencies and other non-profits to pool resources and fund long-term recovery projects as a group.

In Louisiana, this process is ongoing for many residents affected by Hurricane Ida in August of 2021. After months of initial response, The Salvation Army has continued to serve affected populations with over $800,000 paid out to survivors and overall, three million dollars have been allocated to Hurricane Ida long-term recovery.