A Story from the Past

A long note recently came in with a Salvation Army supporter's donation, and it touched me so deeply, I asked him if I could share it:

Dear Salvation Army,

In 1943 my dad was discharged from the United States Navy. He had four children (including me) and was unemployed. We lived with my mom's sisters and grandfather in Winona, MN. I was about 3 years old then. He went to other organizations for help--financial assistance, food and clothing, whatever help he could find. All he received was a voucher for 2 gallons of milk with a blanket. Then he went to The Salvation Army and received food vouchers (enough to eat on for a week), $5 cash, clothing for us kids and a nice used new suit with a list of possible employers that might hire him.

He told me this story with great respect for The Salvation Army, and I never forgot it. That is why my contributions to The Salvation Army are consistent each time you send me a reminder in the mail.

I live on social-security and find myself maxed-out at the end of the month. But if I could save my contributions for myself, what would I do with them? No amount of money can buy me health, peace of mind, or the feeling that in some small way I can be a part of sharing my life with others who have less than me.

~John M.

What a beautiful cycle this is to see, those who already have so little giving to help those who have even less, because those before them were helped in the same way.