The Salvation Army Florida

(STUART, FL, FEBRUARY 12, 2021) – The Salvation Army’s Women Auxiliary hails the success of its inaugural fundraiser—Eat, Drink & Be Giving. Last fall, the auxiliary hosted a casual, socially distanced gathering at The Dolphin Bar Shrimp House in Jensen Beach to benefit its homeless shelter, Compassion House. Through the generosity of sponsors, donations, ticket sales, and proceeds from the silent auction, Eat, Drink, & Be Giving raised $42,000.

Compassion House is the Army’s transitional homeless shelter for women and women with children. It provides far more than safety, clothing, and food. While living at Compassion House, each woman receives one-on-one counseling and the tools necessary to become self-sufficient. Kim Tolbert, Program Manager, helps residents secure employment and housing and provides resources needed for residents to be resilient in the event of a financial crisis in the future. To date, Compassion House has sheltered more than 600 local women and children, with very few “graduates” reverting to homelessness. The pandemic has brought on unique challenges for Compassion House and could have easily halted operations. Kim Tolbert explains, “Thanks to the Women’s Auxiliary, we can focus on our residents and their needs while doing what we can to curb the cyclical nature of homelessness.”

Eat, Drink & Be Giving marks another massive success for the Women’s Auxiliary. The silent auction alone yielded $7,000 in proceeds in part due to the overwhelming support of local businesses donating merchandise, gift certificates, and more. The event would not have been possible without the support of its sponsors; Jack and Char Meyering, the Edward P. and Juanita J. Henson Foundation, Robert and Carol Weissman, Seacoast Bank, Agler Kitchen, Bath & Floors, Airstron Air Conditioning, Crary Buchanan, Attorneys at Law, Lori Baird, Raymond and Ginny Bargull, Muriel Franz, Phyllis Kordick, Wayne and Carolyn Magdalena, the Osleber Family, and Ted and Pat Tiemeyer.