Entries by j_massey

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Salvation Army International Leader Calls for Prayer Against Injustice to Women

General Brian Peddle has issued a global call to pray for women and girls in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which identified 12 critical areas of concern for women and girls.

“I’m asking you to join me in a cry for justice,” said Peddle in a special video message. “A heartfelt longing to deal with the wrongs of this world.”

The message comes on the heels of a pivotal “Reimagining” of The Salvation Army’s International Women’s Ministries earlier this month, which encouraged every part of the worldwide church and charity to re-examine how to best meet the needs of women and girls in a relevant and culturally appropriate manner.

In the video, Peddle describes “probably the greatest injustice of our age”: the fact that half the world’s population start life at a disadvantage simply because they are female.

In his call to prayer, Peddle cites up-to-date statistics which illustrate the scale of the issue: 71 perc..

March 16, 2020 by
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The Salvation Army Seeks to End Generational Poverty Through Pathway of Hope Initiative

“Pathway of Hope is the evolution of what The Salvation Army has provided since its creation,” says Cheryl Wilson, case manager at the Army’s Buffalo, N.Y., Area Services Center.
“The Salvation Army has existed for over 150 years as an organization that serves basic emergency needs. But today, we know that we can address the root causes of what keeps a person in need,” says Wilson. “Transactional provision of food and resources are great, but the change that Pathway of Hope can offer is goal and action oriented; it’s made to impact this and future generations.”
Wilson gets to know the people she helps and addresses the root causes of what keeps them from achieving stability and self–sufficiency. Housing, childcare, reliable transportation, and gainful employment are all part of a stable living situation. “Every part impacts the others,” explains Wilson. “If your car breaks down or you don’t have someone to watch your kids, you might not be able to work.”
The most common aspect of g..

March 9, 2020 by
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For 27 years, Key Largo family store has benefited from volunteer’s efforts

For 27 years, Key Largo family store has benefited from volunteer’s efforts By: Rebecca Corum
A few months before Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in the 1950s, Olga Lastra, her husband and two young sons left the country with the notion they would return shortly. However, time passed, and Lastra discovered her home had been taken over by the Castro-led government. By that time, her husband was working on an assignment as a civil engineer in the United States, and that positive fortune allowed for a smoother transition to a new place to call home.
Adjusting to the United States as the new home base for her family, Lastra decided to take a chance that a local boutique would hire her for work. She was, in fact, hired and quickly became a top salesperson. Her exceptional personality and passion for fashion fueled her work.
Lastra and her husband eventually retired in the Florida Keys, settling into yet another new home. Initially, she volunteered for the local animal shelter and was a..

March 2, 2020 by
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The Salvation Army is responding to Coronavirus in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan

Salvation Army members and staff in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are continuing to provide assistance in the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak despite restrictions that have been put in place to slow the spread of the virus.

“Even with the anxiety surrounding the Novel Coronavirus here in Hong Kong and Macau, we are very proud of the corps officers, soldiers and staff from our social services who brave the uncertainties and visit many families in their communities – especially the elderly and house-bound – to provide them with essential foodstuffs, meals and masks for their protection,” said Major Eva Chow, Corporate Communications Director for The Salvation Army’s Hong Kong and Macau Command.

The Hong Kong and Macau governments have implemented enhanced disease prevention and control measures to reduce the flow of people between the mainland and Hong Kong-Macau borders.

Hong Kong has already suspended passenger clearance services in 10 control points and plans are in place for a 14-..

February 26, 2020 by
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Heroes with Hammers

“What is the use of preaching the gospel to men whose whole attention is concentrated upon a mad, desperate struggle to keep themselves alive?” General William Booth, Founder of The Salvation Army, posed this question in the late 1800s; over 100 years later the question is as relevant today as it was when he presented this challenge to the world.

February 21, 2020 by
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Immigrant family finds a home through youth music programs

Immigrant woman finds a home for her family with The Salvation Army of Clearwater, Fla. By: Libia Socorro
Gladys Aboude came to this country from Venezuela in 2015, accompanied by her two children. A woman of Hispanic origin, Aboude knew little about life in the U.S. and had to find her own way.
She did not know what The Salvation Army was, and she knew nothing of its mission and work. When she saw a flyer advertising Salvation Army music classes, she checked into it. When she realized that the classes were free, she decided to register her children.
As her children became involved in the music classes, her awareness of the Army began to grow. She learned it had nothing to do with the military and was actually a non-profit Christian organization. She wanted to know more about The Salvation Army, and that’s how Aboude began attending the Clearwater, Florida, Corps and became part of that beautiful family of Salvationists.
Meanwhile, her children were not only receiving music lessons..

February 3, 2020 by
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Reminders for 2020

OK…this is not another New Year’s resolution pep talk, but a “let’s-get-down-to-what-really-matters” boost. Here are some meaningful steps to a more purposeful new year. Maybe God is speaking to you through one of them.
Live like you’re loved by God. Make this the year you sit right down in the middle of that love and soak it into your soul. Act like you’re truly free. This year grab onto true freedom with both hands and don’t let anyone or anything wrench it away – not your job, not toxic relationships, not unsettled sin, not even religious expectation. Walk like you’re righteous. When you accepted Christ, God declared you righteous. You can walk into life this year like you have nothing to feel guilty about – because you don’t! You can stop clinging to past mistakes and failures and start walking out the truth of your position in Christ. Step forward confidently like you’re victorious. You can expect battles and trials this year. God never promised unending ease. But He did promise..

January 24, 2020 by
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Family’s special Christmas tree still warming hearts in northeast Florida

Family’s very special Christmas tree warming hearts in northeast Florida By: Brad Rowland
With the holiday season approaching and the potential for colder temperatures, a fourth-grade student named Zoey Brown sprang into action.
Zoey, who attends PVPV-Rawlings Elementary School in Ponte Vedra, Florida, was inspired by The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program and, with a bit of help from her family, she created the “Tree of Warmth,” attracting attention from across the Jacksonville area.
Zoey, whose grandmother, Pam Brown, is the sister of Major Candice Biggers, drew her initial inspiration from an otherwise innocuous conversation during a family dinner.
“From my understanding, the trigger for this initiative was a conversation we were having during dinner with Pam, her husband, Steve, and their grandchildren,” said Major Keath Biggers, Jacksonville area commander.
“We were discussing the Angel Tree, and one of the children, Bronx, began calling it the ‘Homeless Tree’ by mistake. We..

January 13, 2020 by
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Serving the community and staying prepared with ‘Feed the Need’ program

Tallahassee meets community, stays prepared with ‘Feed the Need’ program By: Brad Rowland
With Hurricanes Hermine, Irma and Michael making landfall in the area within the last half-decade, The Salvation Army of Tallahassee, Florida, is all too familiar with on-the-ground disaster work. With that as the backdrop, the Army saw an opportunity to both maintain its readiness for emergency disaster services and serve the population of Leon, Gadsden and Wakulla counties on a regular basis.
The result is the “Feed the Need” program, deploying each week to serve hot meals in the community and address an emerging local issue of food insecurity. Simultaneously, these deployments allow The Salvation Army to stay sharp, expanding a volunteer base and maintaining crucial equipment for a time when an immediate need arises.
“Our goals for ‘Feed The Need’ are two-fold,” said Julie Smith, social services program coordinator in Tallahassee. “First, we can meet the needs of people in our community that..

January 7, 2020 by
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The Salvation Army helps woman overcome obstacles to achieve NASA dream

The Salvation Army helps Houston woman overcome obstacles, achieve her dream career at NASA Mejean had always loved everything about space, NASA, and technology, but her dream to go to college kept getting postponed.
First, she began a career in law enforcement to help her family with finances, and then she became a mother of two. She always held on to her dream of becoming an engineer and joining NASA, though. She decided to pursue her dream shortly after becoming a mom.
Her family had always been “just okay” living paycheck to paycheck, but after Mejean quit her job to become a full-time student, things became harder for her family. Her husband, Ray, became the sole breadwinner.
Then tragedy struck.
Mejean was hit by a car. Ray quit his job immediately to take care of his wife and tend to her every need. At the time, Mejean was a University of Houston student pursuing a computer engineering degree. The bills began to pile up, and their finances spiraled out of control. They lost ..

November 22, 2019 by