SALVATION ARMY CELEBRATES ITS VOLUNTEERS

(PALM CITY, FL) – The Salvation Army of Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee Counites recently showed appreciation for its volunteers at a celebratory luncheon held at Martin Downs Golf Club in Palm City. The program included recognition of top volunteers and guest speakers Major Sarah Nelson and Lieutenant Mariah Deshazo, who gave testimony of their experiences serving in the Salvation Army. In addition to being treated to a delightful lunch, each guest received a small gift and a ticket for a chance to win a basket of goodies.

“One of the most important choices you can make is how you share your time,” said Gary Blackmon, Volunteer Coordinator for the Salvation Army. “Every day I see our volunteers giving so freely to help others in need.”

The crowd cheered as Blackmon recognized volunteers for their total hours of service working for the Salvation Army in 2021. Top honors were given to Steve Casola, Kaylee Cumming and June Stires for their work in the Salvation Army food pantries, to Kenneth Marks for his work in the soup kitchen, to Janice Belwood, Rosa Cruz and Roy Brooks for their work in the Family Stores, to Doreen Wilson for her help with the Angel Tree program, and to Kathy Span, Charles Stracuzzi, Carl Gaiser and Donna Gaiser for their efforts in the Red Kettle campaign. Lori Baird of Port St. Lucie won 2021 Volunteer of the Year.

Civic awards were presented to the Knit Wits of PGA Village, Nathan Family Farms of Palm City, Jim and DD Feenstra of Port St. Lucie and For the Love of Paws of Fellsmere for their generous donations to the Salvation Army’s food pantries. In addition, First United Methodist Church of Hobe Sound, Faith Congregational Church of Port St. Lucie, Stuart Congregational Church, Palm City Presbyterian Church, Harbor Place of Port St. Lucie, Kiwanis Club of Okeechobee and First United Methodist Church of Port St. Lucie were recognized for group bell ringing in the Red Kettle campaign.

Modern country artist Steven Cade stopped at The Salvation Army’s Compassion House shelter in Stuart recently on his “Giving Guitars Tour,” performing a few of his inspiring songs and donating two guitars for the women and children living in the shelter to use and enjoy.

The Nashville-based singer/songwriter has made it his mission to bring guitars to shelters across the nation and since beginning his tour in October 2021, has visited shelters across Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky.

“Music changes lives and the guitar is such a powerful tool. Music is healing and allows you to express your stories and brings joy,” shares Cade. “I give back to homeless shelters because it's part of my story, my family has been homeless as well.” For more information visit stevencade.com or if you would like to donate money towards Giving Guitars, please go www.stevencade.com/givingguitars.

Giving hope to the most vulnerable. That’s the goal of this year’s Wings of Hope Luncheon. The event, organized by The Salvation Army’s Women’s Auxiliary, aims to raise awareness and funding for Compassion House, The Salvation Army’s transitional shelter for homeless women and children.

Homelessness on the Treasure Coast is more prevalent than most people realize and is exacerbated by the high rental costs for housing in the area. Many single women find themselves unable to make ends meet and are compelled to stay temporarily at a friend’s home or worse, forced to sleep in their cars. Imagine sleeping in your car with your children in the Florida heat. The Salvation Army assists where it can, but the need is enormous. Their shelter is consistently at maximum capacity, with a waitlist of more than 20 families begging to be admitted. Indeed, the staff receives as many as a dozen inquiries daily from women desperate for a place to stay.

Compassion House transitional shelter successfully breaks the cycle of homelessness by offering more than just a meal and a bed. In weekly case management meetings, each woman develops goals, creates a budget and learns about local resources that may offer support. They receive personal assistance with childcare, clothing, GED or college classes, job-seeking skills and apartment hunting – whatever they may need to find and maintain stable employment and housing. The goal is not only to help them find a home, but to help them be more resilient should they face another crisis in the future.

Compassion House has always been a mission of the Women’s Auxiliary. Even before it was built, the Auxiliary worked tirelessly to raise funds for the shelter’s development. The annual Wings of Hope Luncheon, now in its twentieth year, provides the financial support necessary to enable Compassion House to keep its doors open for desperate families.

This year’s luncheon, scheduled for November 13th at the fabulous Hutchinson Shores Resort in Jensen Beach, will feature special guest speaker Rob Lord, President of Cleveland Clinic Martin Health. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. to allow guests to peruse a wide variety of auction items available for bid. The lunch program will begin promptly at 11:30 a.m. with local auctioneer K.C. Daniel as emcee.

Thus far, sponsors for this highly-anticipated event include Bob and Carol Weissman, the Edward P. and Juanita J. Henson Foundation, Agler Kitchen, Bath & Floors, Brenda and Albert Auer, Mrs. John Grimmer, Ralph and Jean Parks, Reed and Joan Smith and Florida Power & Light.

For ticket and sponsorship information, visit give.salvationarmyflorida.org/WOH or contact Andrea Shaffer, Donor Relations and Special Events Coordinator at 772-288-1471, ext. 206.

(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.

(STUART, February 4, 2021) – Publix Super Markets Charities recently donated $15,000.00 to support The Salvation Army's Compassion House, its transitional homeless shelter for women and women with children. Since opening in 2012 in Stuart, more than 600 women and children have lived at the shelter with an ever-growing waitlist.

The Compassion House facility has eight bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, as well as a children's playground and playroom, laundry room, computer workspace, and dining area. While living at Compassion House, each resident receives shelter, meals, and clothing. The women meet regularly for one-on-one counseling and receive access to resources designed to develop the skills needed to become self-sufficient. Additionally, the program is free, allowing residents to focus on achieving financial independence by not being burdened by bills. The goal is not only to help the women find and maintain stable employment and housing but also to help them become more resilient should they face a financial crisis in the future. The program boasts a high success rate as very few of its "graduates" fall back into homelessness.

Captain Sheena Marquis, local corps officer, expressed gratitude for Publix Super Markets Charities' ongoing partnership, saying, "Because of their generosity, we can continue providing shelter to women and children who are transitioning out of homelessness. We look forward to serving many more families because of this grant, offering not only a safe place to stay and seek opportunity but hope where there was only despair."