Salvation Army Serving after Tornadoes Touch Down in Austin

The Salvation Army has three mobile kitchens (canteens) on site providing assistance to residents and emergency workers in Austin, Minn., where a tornado touched down just before dark Wednesday, June 17. Salvation Army volunteer crews from Austin, Albert Lea and Mankato are providing hydration and are on standby at the Austin Salvation Army building to provide housing for up to 20 residents. With weather conditions expected to be hot and humid, hydration will be essential as residents wake to the daunting task of cleanup.

"There is no electricity anywhere in town," said Captain Jim Brickson, leader of the Albert Lea Salvation Army. "We have a generator available to provide lights in our Austin service center and are awaiting direction from city officials."

With no lighting available, the situation is difficult to evaluate and is potentially dangerous. "There are people outside in the dark cutting tree limbs off their houses," Brickson said last night. "It is a tenuous situation at best."

In times of disaster The Salvation Army specializes in providing mass feeding at the time of natural disasters, as well as providing financial resources to survivors as recovery efforts begin. Donations to disaster relief are used exclusively to provide assistance to residents in the damaged area. Click below to make an online donation or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Designate your gift to Austin Tornado Relief.

"Just a Spoonful of Sugar..."

Some of you may remember our Wicked fundraiser last year, which sold out in a matter of weeks. Well this year--as a fundraiser--The Salvation Army is selling tickets to the award-winning musical Mary Poppins. The performance is at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 13 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis.

When you buy a ticket through our website for $120, $50 of that price automatically becomes a $50 tax-deductible donation to The Salvation Army (all seats are in the lower level). See our website for details on the show, buying tickets, and the option to upgrade to a "premium package."

Happy National Doughnut Day

The next time you dunk your favorite doughnut, thank The Salvation Army. While The Army may not have invented the first doughnut - that distinction is lost in history --it can certainly take credit for the popularity of the doughnut today.

A little history: In August, 1917, fighting raged near Montiers, France, as soldiers huddled in camp - hungry, weary and drenched by 36 consecutive days of rain. In a tent near the front lines, Salvation Army lassies made doughnuts by filling a refuge pail with oil made dough with left over flour and other ingredients on hand, and used a wine bottle as a rolling pin. With a baking powder tin for a cutter and a tube for making the holes, doughnuts were fried - seven at a time - in soldier's steel helmets on an 18-inch stove.

Rain fell continuously, and the water-soaked tent finally collapsed. However, the 100doughnuts made on that first day were an immediate success. Soon, as many as 500 soldiers stood in muck outside the resurrected tent waiting for the sweet taste of doughnuts and before long, 9,000 doughnuts were being made around the clock. The tent became the first 24-hour doughnut shop.

Word spread and before long, Salvation Army lassies were making doughnuts wherever the war was being fought. Doughnuts were taken to the front lines, and it was reported that some pilots even dropped notes asking for doughnuts for their troops.

The doughnut's identity with The Salvation Army stuck. Doughnuts appeared everywhere The Army did. Ever since that August day in France 92 years ago, millions of doughnuts have been provided free by The Salvation Army to fireman, rescue workers, disaster victims - anyone in need. Salvation Army lassies made doughnuts the popular wartime food, and the doughnut came to symbolize the good work of The Salvation Army.

So now that you know a little history, go out and enjoy a doughnut, appreciating the deeper meaning behind it.

Losing Homes and Ending Childhoods

As part of their "Children of the Recession" series, CBS News recently ran this story about 11-year old Tristen Clarke and his mother Rhonda, a homeless family whom The Salvation Army is helping to house in a motel in California. It's always shocking to face the fact that more and more children in America are becoming homeless due to the recession, but I found this story particularly heartbreaking because it revealed how much of a mental toll this is having on youth. Tristen worries about things that most kids his age take for granted--having enough food, a place to sleep, and even a safe place to play outside. In short, he's had to grow up too fast, and he's not alone. Reading his story reminded me of the many kids and young adults here in the Twin Cities facing the same harsh reality. Youth want to ease the burdens that are heaped on their parents in this economy, and it's mentally and emotionally exhausting.

The good news is that The Salvation Army has facilities and programs in place such as the Booth Brown House and other youth centers and programs throughout the Twin Cities to do as much as possible to provide relief. This CBS story shows that sometimes just having someone on your side can provide a sense of optimism; Despite his circumstances, 11 year-old Tristen describes himself as "lucky" because he and his mom aren't living on the street. Although they are homeless, the Salvation Army's provision keeps them from living "in a cardboard box," and he recognizes that as a blessing.

I encourage you to read his story, and also think of ways that you can be a blessing to kids like Tristen, here in our own community. Volunteering, donating, or even just taking a tour to learn more about what's happening in the Twin Cities are all small ways to make a big impact during these economically uncertain times.