SNR SalvationArmy_052010

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A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW WHAT IT TAKES TO SAVE LIVES

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Salvation Army client publication

Transcript of SNR SalvationArmy_052010

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A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW

WHATIT

TAKESTO

SAVELIVES

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Sacramento was a rough min-ing outpost when MajorAlfred Wells arrived in 1885

to start a church. Salvation Armyfounder General William Booth had sentWells from England to bring the Army tothe West. According to Salvation Army his-tory writer Gordon Damant, Wells prayedfor a place to start a church, or “corps,” inSacramento. “Major Wells’ prayer wasanswered when upon arrival inSacramento, he was offered a property onThird Street rent free for the first month.”Formerly a warehouse for animal hides, thestench was overwhelming, so Wells bor-rowed a hose from the saloon keeper nextdoor and washed down the building. Wellsand his helpers then installed a canvasceiling over the rafters and painted thewalls white.

Once the building, or “barracks,” wasready, Wells left for the Bay Area. His wife,M.J. Wells, stayed with a few other women“warriors” to conduct services. Accordingto Damant, “The work of the women wasso effective in reforming some of the moreincorrigible men of the city that the localpolice, magistrates and city officials took offtheir hats to these Salvation Army ‘lassies.’”

Wells’ opening of the first SalvationArmy Corps was met with controversy.Many tough miners, gamblers and pio-neers—mostly men—attended servicesand were converted. Others accosted thecongregation, beating them and throwingstones. A city ordinance was passed pro-hibiting The Salvation Army to gather out-doors, as was its custom.

Not to be dissuaded from an “open airmeeting,” the Army kept its gathering onthe move, marching its way to the bar-racks to continue services. Along the waythey banged drums, blared horns andraised their voices in song. A new ordi-nance was soon passed, granting permis-sion to hold outdoor meetings in the lowerend of town only.

By 1894, The Salvation Army was well-established and able to provide communityservices. It launched the Workingman’sHotel to provide shelter for working poor ata cost of 5 cents a night. The day afterChristmas that year, the Sacramento Corpsgarnered the attention and a visit fromSalvation Army founder William Booth. ByChristmas of 1907, The Salvation Armyprovided 100 holiday dinners for the poor.

“The programs have expanded overthe years incredibly, particularly the socialwork aspect of the Army,” said Damant.“More and more programs have graduallybeen developed to help people. It was areal challenge during the Depression years.They had enormous feeding programs try-ing to keep people alive.”

Early 20th-century services included aramshackle hut erected at the corner of10th and L streets, where coffee anddoughnuts were served free to all men inuniform. By 1922, the Army was feeding500 men twice daily at the OK Restauranton Second Street. Then, on Christmas in1928, the Army served a bountiful feast to200 families in Sacramento, and partneredwith the city to feed the unemployed andtransient workers.

Over the decades, family-relief servicesmultiplied. By 1975, The Salvation Armyopened an Emergency Lodge on 12th andNorth B streets, housing single men andfamilies. The Day Care Center opened in1980, serving children of working families.The Army’s disaster vehicle was called intoservice as a mobile soup kitchen in 1982,

feeding more than 1,000 people everyweekend. Finally, ground was broken forthe Ray Robinson Oak Park CommunityCenter in 1990.

Recent years have brought a prolifera-tion of community partnerships to expandservices. In 2005, The Salvation Army beganpartnering with hospitals and government to

open the respite care shelter to help home-less patients discharged from hospitals. Lastyear, CaliforniaVolunteers sponsored aKaBoom playground on The Salvation ArmyOak Park campus, and Toyota ProjectRebound learning center opened at the RayRobinson Oak Park Community Center. Alsoin 2009, The Salvation Army joined withEnough Is Enough to protect kids onlinethrough the Internet Safety 101 program.

As community needs have changed inthe last 125 years, The Salvation Army hasadapted to serve. From reforming roughminers and serving hungry soldiers dough-nuts to high-tech services to protect kidsonline and help them in school, TheSalvation Army keeps Well’s mission of rel-evant service alive in Sacramento.

CHANGINGTO MEET THE NEED

by Anna Barela

ON CHRISTMAS IN 1928, THE ARMY SERVEDA BOUNTIFUL FEAST TO 200 FAMILIES INSACRAMENTO. BY 1975, THE SALVATIONARMY OPENED AN EMERGENCY LODGE ON12TH AND NORTH B STREETS, HOUSINGSINGLE MEN AND FAMILIES.

2 // MAY 20, 2010 // A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW

COVER PHOTO BY ANNE STOKES

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THE SALVATION ARMY - 125 YEARS IN SACRAMENTO // A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW // MAY 20, 2010 // 3

SOCIAL SERVICESOFFER HOPEDDOONNNNAA DDIIVVEENNSS’’ SSTTOORRYY

All Donna Divens wants is the ability tomaintain her own home so her 2-year-oldgrandson can visit. Last year, difficulty find-ing employment left Donna and her longtimeboyfriend Anthony without a home. Thanksto The Salvation Army social services, Donnaand Anthony have an apartment today.

Donna worked for In-Home SupportiveServices for years. She lived in the home ofthe client she cared for, but when thatclient moved in with family, the companywas unable to place her with another, leav-ing her without an income or a place tolive. For most of 2009, Donna lived in andout of various homeless shelters inSacramento, including two stays at TheSalvation Army Center of Hope Shelter.

Donna admits she was afraid to go toThe Salvation Army’s shelter. “I was judgingfrom the outside. I always thought it wasjust drug people there. But once I gotthere, that was not the situation at all. Itwas clean, and a lot of the people therehad lost their jobs or just hit rock bottom. Imet some awesome ladies in The SalvationArmy. It’s just hard times out there today.”

When she and Anthony entered theCenter of Hope Shelter for the second timein August, Donna realized The SalvationArmy was there to help, but she had to doher part to improve her life. “You got to wantit,” Donna said. “The caseworkers can do somuch, but we have to do our part also.”

During this second stay, Donna workedhard around the shelter. “We worked in thekitchen and in the dorms. It was up to us tokeep our facility clean.”

She also took advantage of TheSalvation Army’s employment help. Theyposted job leads, provided access to acomputer lab and helped with résumés.“The resources were there, we just had toget out and do the work ourselves.”

Despite her efforts, Donna was notsuccessful in finding a job—she was turnedaway frequently due to a felony on herrecord. By October, she and Anthonyreached the maximum time allowed in theshelter. “I don’t want to jump from thisshelter to that shelter,” said Donna.

The Friday of their last weekend in theshelter, Donna’s caseworker told her about aSalvation Army program that could help.They placed Donna and Anthony in an apart-ment, paid utility deposits, provided furnitureand are paying the rent for several months.

The help Donna received from TheSalvation Army gave her hope. She is des-perate to find a job so she can keep hernew apartment. She enjoys her grandsonstaying with her a couple of nights a weekand having family over for dinner. “Theystarted me on my way,” Donna said. “Ihave to finish it.”

“THE RESOURCESWERE THERE, WE JUST HAD TO GET OUT ANDDO THE WORK OURSELVES.”

// DONNA DIVENS

The Salvation Army combats hunger; home-lessness; and emotional, physical and financialdistress with a variety of social-service programs.From help as basic as a bed on a cold night toassistance with food and utility payments or emo-tional support, wherever someone is hurting, TheSalvation Army strives to be there.

The Center of Hope men’s and women’s shelteron 12th and North B streets in Sacramento providesemergency homeless relief with 30- to 60-day staysin a 132-bed facility. Clients receive food, lodging,case management, linkage to temporary and perma-nent housing, and other supportive social servicesneeded to overcome homelessness. While at theshelter, clients must go out between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to look for work and housing. Forty to 60

percent of clients are helped into some form of suc-cessful housing arrangement each month.

In a wing at Center of Hope, and in partner-ship with local hospitals and The Effort, TheSalvation Army also operates a 18-bed interim-care shelter program for patients with nowhere togo upon hospital discharge who still need care.Patients generally come into this facility after

hospitalization for injuries needing at least 30 daysof continued care, and can stay up to 60 days.

The Salvation Army also assists local needyfamilies with a goal of strengthening and unifyingthe family unit. They provide food boxes throughdonations from Raley’s and the SacramentoAssociation of Realtors, utility assistance in

partnership with SMUD and PG&E/REACH, rentalassistance, emergency lodging, and emergencytravel assistance in the form of bus tickets andgasoline vouchers. As needed, families receivecounseling for child-parent relationships, maritalproblems, adolescent problems, single mothers’situations and unemployment.

Family services are constantly expanding tomeet community needs. This program has seen thelargest increase in need in today’s economic envi-ronment—2009 saw a 118 percent increase in theneed for food boxes. The Salvation Army seeks toprovide help for everyday family life.

For thousands like Donna, a social-serviceprogram provided by The Salvation Army offershope. –A.B.

WHEREVER SOMEONEIS HURTING, THESALVATION ARMYSTRIVES TOBE THERE.

**SSAALLVVAATTIIOONN AARRMMYY SSOOCCIIAALL SSEERRVVIICCEE PPRROOGGRRAAMMSS

by Anna Barela

Donna Divens in her new apartment.

PHOTO BY ANNE STOKES

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The Salvation Army improves life for local childrenlike Regina Williams with a myriad of programs. Frompreschool through high school, Salvation Army chil-dren’s programs provide safe and positive environ-ments empowering young lives to flourish.

Help starts early with the Little Lambs GrowingPlace, for children ages 3 to 5. This year-round hub ofactivity enables low-income parents to have a high-quality environment for their preschool children whilethey work. Children build cognitive, social, emotional,physical and language development.

The Salvation Army’s Ray Robinson Oak ParkCommunity Center also works wonders with school-age children like Regina. The center features basket-ball leagues for all ages, after-school tutoring, healthand nutrition programs, and summer camp programs.Funded by families who pay fees based on theirincome, area youth can attend after-school and

full-day educational and recreational programs. Thehighly successful after-school tutoring program andcomputer lab enables youth to access the latest com-puter equipment and software.

For older youth, The Salvation Army offersSunday school, ArmyAdventure Corps forboys, and Sunbeamsand Girl Guards. These char-acter-building programs pro-vide foundations needed fordeveloping a healthy self-esteem and much-neededlife skills. Music, athlet-ics, arts and crafts, andcamping offers opportu-nities for developing talents and skills.

The Salvation Army’s goal is to make a differencein the lives of today’s youth. The staff works closelywith parents to develop healthy children and strongparenting relationships. Through these programs,children develop into well-rounded, responsibleadults. –A.B.

4 // MAY 20, 2010 // A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW

GROWINGUP WITH THE

SALVATION ARMYby Anna Barela

RREEGGIINNAA WWIILLLLIIAAMMSSProgressing from an angry child stuck

in day care to a dynamic young womanwith everything going for her, ReginaWilliams embraced The Salvation Armychildren’s services from the moment hermother enrolled her in its after-schooltutoring program in third grade. Nowentering high school, she participates inevery opportunity the Army offers.

As a young child, Regina was boredin day care without much structure or dis-cipline while her mother, Patricia, workedto support her child as a single mother.Regina had trouble managing her anger,hitting other children at day care andfighting with her mother at home. Patriciaheard about The Salvation Army’s after-school program through her adult daugh-ter and enrolled Regina.

“I had a lot of anger issues before Istarted,” Regina recalled. “They taughtme to control that. When I got angry, theywould tell me to go punch a pillow if I feltlike I needed to hit someone, or if I need-ed to scream, scream into the pillow.They would let me go sit in a corner tocalm myself down. I still have angerissues, but I can control them now.”

Regina enjoyed the structure at TheSalvation Army. “They did a lot moreactivities,” she said. “They had field trips.They had a schedule.” She also appreci-ated help with homework.

Her mother appreciated the disciplineat Salvation Army. Of other day cares,she said, “They didn’t understand how todiscipline. When [Regina] had an excessamount of energy, right away they thinkshe needs to be on Ritalin instead ofdealing with it. You don’t just put a childon medication because they’re active.The Salvation Army knew how to dealwith it better. Their Christian values madea big difference. They discipline children

in a calm manner instead of justcalling me and throwing her outfor the day. I appreciated it. Ilove the staff. Regina is part ofThe Salvation Army still.”

“I’m a Girl Guard now,” saidRegina. “It’s kind of like GirlScouts, but different. They havea camp that we go to and earnbadges.”

In addition to Girl Guards,Regina attends summer campsand vacation Bible school everyyear, attends teen night on Fridaysand attends The Salvation Armychurch on Sundays. She enjoys thecamps the most because they keepher busy, and she likes going to themovies and Christian concerts on teennight. She even joined the basketballteam and the music program, until shegot too busy with homework.

Activities with The Salvation Army area fun part of Regina’s life. She is closewith several Army staff who stick byRegina and her mother whenever theyface life challenges. Regina is excelling injunior high school and has many friends.She wants to be a teacher when shegrows up.

THE SALVATIONARMY’S GOAL IS TO MAKE A

DIFFERENCE INTHE LIVES OFTODAY’S YOUTH.

**PPRROOGGRRAAMMSS EEMMPPOOWWEERR CCHHIILLDDRREENN

“I HAD A LOT OFANGER ISSUESBEFORE I STARTED, THEYTAUGHT ME TOCONTROL THAT.”

// REGINA WILLIAMS

PHOTO BY ANNE STOKES

Regina Williams is grateful to beinvolved with The Salvation Army.

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When Victor Verdugo turned to The SalvationArmy for help, he was incarcerated and addicted tomethamphetamines. He joined its adult rehabilitationprogram and turned his life around.

Drinking and drugs were a normal part of life forVictor as a child. At age 15, he was using drugs andgetting into trouble, so his mother sent him to livewith his grandmother in California. “It didn’t helpme,” Victor said. His addiction worsened and hebecame involved with gangs.

His addiction eventually landed him behindbars, where he was surrounded by violence andmore drugs than on the streets. “You’re sleepingwith one eye open,” Victor recalled. “When I waslocked up, I said a prayer, ‘God, I need help. Get meout of this situation.’”

In April of 1997, mere weeks after Victor’s prayer,an attorney came to see Victor with news of a wayout of prison. Unbeknownst to Victor, the attorney hehad not seen since the onset of his incarcerationfour years earlier was fighting for him on the outside.He got him into The Salvation Army AdultRehabilitation Center.

When he arrived at the center, Victor was appre-hensive. “When I saw freedom, my old behavior start-ed coming back. When I walked in the doors andsaw 90 men around me, I thought, this isn’t me—I’mnot addicted. But for some reason, I stuck around.

“In the first 30 days, I started seeing that the coun-selors there were really caring,” Victor recalled. “Theybent over backwards to help me—to make me realize Icould overcome my addiction and get a better life.”

Through group meetings and one-on-one coun-seling, Victor began to feel comfortable sharing hisexperiences with others at the Army AdultRehabilitation Center. “The program helped me findmy inner self. Once I started opening up, I startedworking on what I had to do to better myself.”

While in the program, Victor met his current wife,Regina. At the time, she was involved with gangs anddrugs just like Victor. They met in Old Sacramentowhile Victor was out on free time, and Victor invitedher to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting for their firstdate. They helped each other stay clean.

In October 1997, Victor graduated The SalvationArmy adult rehabilitation program. He has beenclean and sober for 13 years. “The program taughtme not to let temptation affect me,” Victor said. “Ihave come all this way and am not going to throwaway all these years. I owe The Salvation Army a lot.They saved my life.”

Today, Victor and Regina have four beautiful chil-dren and both work for The Salvation Army. Theyserve in youth programs, Hispanic outreach andteach sermons at The Salvation Army in Chico.Victor feels he was “saved to serve.” He said, “Godbrought me to The Salvation Army. God got me outof the penitentiary. God has a plan for me. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”

THRIFT STORES FUND ADULT REHABILITATION

“THEY BENT OVER BACKWARDSTO HELP ME—TO MAKE MEREALIZE I COULD OVERCOMEMY ADDICTION AND GET A BETTER LIFE.”

// VICTOR VERDUGO

SSAAVVEEDD TTOO SSEERRVVEE:: VVIICCTTOORR VVEERRDDUUGGOO

Each day in Sacramento, The Salvation Army’sAdult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) helps addicts likeVictor Verdugo overcome addictions and transitionto productive lives. They are individuals with identi-fiable, treatable needs who can no longer cope. ARCsaves lives by helping participants work through asix-month program of recovery built on a work-

therapy model.

The center operates 365 days a year at nocost to participants, housing 86 men. ARC providesnourishing meals and necessary medical care, inaddition to group therapy, spiritual guidance, andskilled counseling in clean and wholesome sur-roundings where clients actually live for the dura-tion of the program.

During the first 30 days, clients are only allowedto leave the center to attend recovery support meet-ings. Groups are open to the public and include

Narcotics Anonymous group “Making aDifference” on Mondays at 7 p.m., AA group“Pass It On” on Fridays at 7 p.m., CASA(Christians Against Substance Abuse) onSaturdays and Sundays at 6 p.m., housingworkshops, parole support group “NeverGoing Back,” life-skills education, and menand women discussion groups.

ARC also incorporates a work program to helpclients get back on the right path to success.Clients assist with cleaning and cooking in thecenter and volunteer for The Salvation Army thriftstores. They work in stores, at the warehouse or oncollection trucks during their stay.

All of the costs of ARC’s services are raisedthrough the sale of donated goods at thrift stores.This support is dependent on community memberswhen they donate goods—which The SalvationArmy will pick up—or shop at the stores.Community supporters also benefit by receivingtax deductions for donations and by great dealswhen they shop for everything from clothes, furni-ture and appliances to computers, televisions,video game systems and music.

The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Centerhas a higher success rate than the Betty Ford Center.The spiritual aspect gives clients a sense of founda-tion. Therapy and work programs provide life skills,and clients leave with hope for the future. –A.B.

**CCHHAANNGGIINNGG MMAANNYY LLIIVVEESS

THE SALVATIONARMY’S ADULTREHABILITATIONCENTER HAS AHIGHER SUCCESSRATE THAN THEBETTY FORDCENTER.

THE SALVATION ARMY - 125 YEARS IN SACRAMENTO // A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW // MAY 20, 2010 // 5

S

Ex-gang member, Victor Verdugo, leadsworship at The Salvation Army church.

by Anna Barela

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6 // MAY 20, 2010 // A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW

The Salvation Army red kettles and bells ring

every holiday season. It’s a seasonal icon as recog-

nizable as the Christmas tree, yet few people realize

the important services red kettle donations support. No

other season is more special to The Salvation Army than

Christmas, and the Army gives back to the community in a

big way.The first red kettle appeared in 1891, when Captain

Joseph McFee resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner to

the poor of San Francisco. In an effort to raise funds for the

food, he placed a crab pot and tripod at the Oakland ferry land-

ing near San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace. The ket-

tle—and McFee’s request to “Keep the pot boiling!”—drew a lot

of attention. So began a tradition that spread throughout the

world, enabling The Salvation Army to bring the spirit of Christmas

to the needy.

Each year, Salvation Army Holiday Assistance brings Christmas

to thousands of needy families like Tatyana Siniy’s that may other-

wise not have a Christmas. Sign-ups occur at several community

locations, and qualifying families receive holiday food and toys for

their children on distribution day at Cal Expo. Some of the commu-

nity’s neediest families are “adopted” by volunteers who provide

them with special food, toys and household gifts.

Volunteers are essential to Holiday Assistance provided by The

Salvation Army, helping with sign-ups, food-box assembly, sorting

toys, distributing toys and food, and with translation for non-

English-speaking families. Businesses and churches help by host-

ing Angel Trees to collect toy donations. The Salvation Army also

depends on volunteers to help as they partner with News10 Coats

for Kids around the holiday season.

Holiday Assistance starts with the drop of a coin in a red kettle.

It ends with families like Tatyana, Svetlana, Paul, Irina, Dmitriy,

Yelena and Julie—who had nothing—enjoying a special meal and

toys on Christmas. –A.B.

**HHOOLLIIDDAAYY AASSSSIISSTTAANNCCEE PPRROOGGRRAAMM

TTAATTYYAANNAA SSIINNIIYY’’SS SSTTOORRYYWhen Tatyana Siniy came to America in

April 1999 as a refugee from Ukraine, shehad nothing. She and six children left theirhome to escape religious persecution.Because of The Salvation Army’s HolidayAssistance, she was able to give her chil-dren a Christmas their first year in America.

Christianity is prohibited in communistUkraine. Because of her beliefs, Tatyana’shome was taken and her grades were low-ered as she tried to pursue education. Herparents and siblings already escaped toAmerica. Finally, Tatyana packed up her chil-dren—Svetlana, Paul, Irina, Dmitriy, Yelenaand Julie—aged 8 to 15, and left everythingbehind to join her family in Sacramento.

“I’m happy to be here,” Tatyana said.She described her desire to fit in to the newculture, including traditions like Christmaspresents. But Tatyana could not affordpresents for her children.

“We didn’t have anything,” she recalled.When a friend told her about HolidayAssistance with The Salvation Army, sheasked the friend for a ride to the church toapply, as she had no car. On the day theChristmas help was distributed at Cal Expo,her friend drove her early in the morning toline up with other recipients.

When her turn came, she was allowedto pick out two toys for each child underthe age of 12. She didn’t speak muchEnglish yet, but knew enough to communi-cate. “They were patient and caring,” shesaid of Salvation Army staff. “They askedthe age of my children and what they were

interested in.”

Then Tatyana got a surprise—HolidayAssistance included a box of food! It wasfilled with two fresh chickens and cannedfood. She was grateful to be able to providea holiday dinner for her children.

The children were excited when shebrought the toys home. Tatyana didn’t real-ize Christmas presents were supposed tobe wrapped, but they didn’t care whether itwas wrapped or who it was for—all thechildren shared the toys.

After that first Christmas, Tatyana com-pleted her education at American River

College. She got her degree in child devel-opment and now works as an infant-toddlerteacher at American River College’s daycare. As her children grew up, they all wentto college for professions from businessand accounting to nursing. Her eldest,Svetlana, now works in accounting for TheSalvation Army.

Svetlana, Paul, Irina and Yelena havedone volunteer work with The SalvationArmy to help with Coats for Kids, and Pauland Dmitriy have volunteered to collect toydonations. The whole family wanted to say“Thank you” and feels it’s important to helppeople who are trying to start over.

“I always remember our first experienceof Christmas in this country,” said Tatyana.“We got the idea, if we’re here, we have tohelp people, and we can help. I rememberit was really nice to get [HolidayAssistance]. It’s so hard to come to anothercountry. It was different—new culture, newcustoms, new people. I got the feelingsomeone cares about needy families.”

“WE DIDN’THAVE ANYTHING”

// TATYANA SINIY

The first red kettle appeared in 1891, when

Captain Joseph McFee resolved to provide a free

Christmas dinner to the poor of San Francisco.

To raise funds, he placed a crab pot near the

Ferry Building Marketplace. His request to

“Keep the pot boiling!” drew a lot of attention.

RED KETTLE RINGS IN

HOLIDAYASSISTANCE by

Anna Barela

Tatyana Siniy and her children were grateful for the holiday gifts from The Salvation Army.

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THE SALVATION ARMY - 125 YEARS IN SACRAMENTO // A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE SACRAMENTO NEWS & REVIEW // MAY 20, 2010 // 7

When disaster strikes, TheSalvation Army is there tohelp. And it sticks around until

victims’ lives return to normal. Long afterother relief agencies have gone home andthe crisis fades from news headlines andpublic memories, The Salvation Armyremains, coordinating long-term cleanupand restoration efforts, and providing finan-cial and social services support to sur-vivors. The Salvation Army is still in Haititoday as it has been since the earthquakein January and before. It’s been in NewOrleans every day since Hurricane Katrinain 2005.

The Salvation Army already had a pres-ence in Haiti when the quake struck, so itwas able to begin relief quickly. In the after-math of a disaster like the quake in Haiti, thefirst aim is to meet the basic needs of thosewho have been affected—both survivors andfirst responders. The Salvation Army imme-diately opened a camp next to its com-pound to house and care for displacedquake victims. Next, it partnered withNumana to distribute more than 8 millionpackaged meals. Meals are still being sent—at the last event to pack meals in SanFrancisco, the Sacramento division, includ-ing 230 youth, helped pack 1 million mealsin 15 hours for immediate shipment to Haiti.

Ken Cavallero, disaster director forNorthern California and Nevada, worked onthe front lines arranging shipment of reliefsupplies into Haiti. With preparedness

programs constantly in place to maintainits own response ability and to educate thepublic about emergency preparedness, theArmy acts immediately when disasterstrikes to deliver food, water and shelter tovictims and emergency workers. Cavallerorecalls the challenges of getting supplies inwith port closures, and the feeling of reliefwhen planes and trucks finally made it.

“Even though I was at our nationalheadquarters in Washington, it was likebeing there,” he said.

With a 30-year background in firefight-ing and 16 years with The Salvation Army,Cavallero knows a thing or two about

being there. On 9/11, he worked as opera-tions chief in the pit serving rescue workers.The Army was the first relief agency to reachground zero.

“The dedication from people that werepart of the [9/11] rescue operation changedmy outlook on how we respond to things,”he said. With its mobile canteens, coun-selors and thousands of volunteers, theArmy continued providing support to rescueand recovery workers for nine months.

As in Haiti and New York, The SalvationArmy will continue working in New Orleans aslong as it takes for disaster recovery. It contin-ues to serve individuals affected by HurricaneKatrina in 2005, coordinating volunteerrebuilding teams and establishing warehousesto distribute reconstruction supplies. It alsoprovides financial assistance, social servicesand distribution of donated goods.

Locally, The Salvation Army responds toseveral wildfires and structural fires eachyear. Sacramento’s mobile kitchen is capa-ble of delivering 1,500 meals twice a daywithout resupplying. In the recent ButteCounty fire, The Salvation Army providedadditional lodging support to evacuees afterRed Cross’ shelter assistance ran out.

Often areas affected by fire lose powerand communication. If phone lines in anydisaster area are down, The Salvation ArmyTeam Emergency Radio Network steps in toprovide emergency communication. It relayscritical information about the disaster andenables victims to send and receive mes-sages to their loved ones.

According to Cavallero, “We’re still work-ing with some folks affected by the Angorafire in Tahoe. As they get into their newhomes, we still have funds available to helpthem if they’re still in need. We have crisiscounselors that can talk with them anytime.”

Cavallero emphases The Salvation Army’scommitment to long-term disaster recovery.“We don’t just get in and get out. We stay andwork with folks as long as they need be.”

As one of the nation’s major emergencyrelief organizations officially recognized by fed-eral, state and local governments across thecountry, The Salvation Army’s primary goals intime of crisis are offering material comfort,physical comfort, and spiritual and emotionalsupport. Most importantly, these services arefree, funded entirely by donations.

DISASTERRELIEF*

THE SALVATION ARMY IS STILL INHAITI TODAY AS THEY HAVEBEEN SINCE THE EARTHQUAKE INJANUARY AND BEFORE. THEY’VE BEEN IN NEW ORLEANSEVERY DAY SINCE HURRICANEKATRINA IN 2005.

by Anna Barela

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The Salvation Army dependson the community to helpprovide so much to so many,

as it has for 125 years. None of theservices offered would be possiblewithout the generous contributions ofcommunity members, as well as part-nerships with Raley’s, the SacramentoAssociation of Realtors, SwansonsCleaners and News10. Communitysupport enables community services.

Services are continually changing torespond to community needs. Five yearsago, assessors identified the need forexpansion in areas of transitional housing,day care, adult rehabilitation and the campfacility in Nevada City. The recent economicenvironment amplified these needs—TheSalvation Army has seen previous donorsbecome clients in need of help.

Plans to expand these services includereplacing the antiquated, modular buildingon Alhambra Boulevard in order to doublethe day-care and after-school care facility.According to David Bentley, Salvation ArmySacramento County coordinator, “It is impor-tant to have facilities available—computerlabs, tutors, etc.—so that young people havean opportunity to be successful in school.We want to prepare them for the future.”

The adult rehabilitation program isslated for expansion as well. “The cen-ter currently only houses men, but thefuture plan is to add 50 beds forwomen,” said Bentley. “We’re able toteach them life skills as well as takethem through the program. It’s a verycritical program for our community.”

Expanding programs to meet com-munity needs increases funding needsfor The Salvation Army. However, for thelast two years, donations have been flat.All of The Salvation Army’s services arerunning at maximum capacity, withwaiting lists for most services. Withmore resources, more community mem-bers in need could be served.

“We really feel there’s a need forthese programs to increase in size andadd that family component with transi-tional housing to help families get backon their feet. We feel good about this,even in this difficult economy. We’vebeen here for 125 years and we antici-pate being here another 125 years.”

Although the Center of Hope shelteris not being expanded or replaced,Bentley acknowledged concern for futurefunding for the shelter, which receivespart of its funding from government grants.“It’s an expensive program to operate, andwith all the different funding cuts, it’s becom-ing difficult.”

The Salvation Army is proficient atstretching a dollar. A $25 donation will pro-vide a senior with food for a week. A $75can feed a family of five for a week. A mere4 percent of donations are used forfundraising, and only 13 percent go to sup-port management, while 33 percent godirectly to social services, 20 percent fundthe community center, 19 percent are usedfor rehabilitation, and 11 percent provideresidential and institutional services.

In addition to monetary donations, volun-teer time is a critical contribution to many ofThe Salvation Army services. In 2009, localcommunity members donated over 36,000hours. The Army also needs equipment andfurniture for all their facilities, and businessescan provide fully tax-deductible services.

To potential donors to The SalvationArmy, Bentley said, “Come and ask for atour. We would love to give a tour so peo-ple can see where their money goes.We’re very proud of our programs. Wecouldn’t do this on our own. We existbecause of our community.”

*THE SALVATION ARMY DEPENDS ON

COMMUNITYS PPORT

ALL OF THE SALVATIONARMY’S SERVICES ARE RUNNING AT MAXIMUMCAPACITY, WITH WAITINGLISTS FOR MOST SERVICES.WITH MORE RESOURCES,MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN NEED COULDBE SERVED.

Donations to The Salvation Army are accepted by phoneat (800) SAL-ARMY and online at www.salarmysacto.org

by Anna Barela