As an organization that’s been meeting the basic needs of people since 1865, The Salvation Army can truly appreciate Tide’s “Loads of Hope” initiative which offers relief in disaster areas by providing one of the most basic needs: clean clothes. The Tide Loads of Hope program dispatches a mobile laundromat containing 32 washers and dryers, with the capacity to do up to 300 loads of laundry a day for those in need, and is now coming to the Fargo/Morehead area to help those affected by the flooding. This free service gives disaster victims and those involved in the clean-up process a chance to drop off their laundry and stop back later to find it washed, dried and folded! What an incredible opportunity for those who have been consumed with flood relief and recovery to have Tide take this burden off of them. The “Loads of Hope” truck is scheduled to arrive in the Fargo/Morehead area around Wednesday of next week, and will stay for approximately 10 days. Check out the Loads of Hope website to find out how you can help.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tide Loads of Hope
As an organization that’s been meeting the basic needs of people since 1865, The Salvation Army can truly appreciate Tide’s “Loads of Hope” initiative which offers relief in disaster areas by providing one of the most basic needs: clean clothes. The Tide Loads of Hope program dispatches a mobile laundromat containing 32 washers and dryers, with the capacity to do up to 300 loads of laundry a day for those in need, and is now coming to the Fargo/Morehead area to help those affected by the flooding. This free service gives disaster victims and those involved in the clean-up process a chance to drop off their laundry and stop back later to find it washed, dried and folded! What an incredible opportunity for those who have been consumed with flood relief and recovery to have Tide take this burden off of them. The “Loads of Hope” truck is scheduled to arrive in the Fargo/Morehead area around Wednesday of next week, and will stay for approximately 10 days. Check out the Loads of Hope website to find out how you can help.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thank You Volunteers!
National Volunteer Week is April 19-25, and The Salvation Army is one organization that definitely understands the importance of our volunteers! Last year more than 82,000 volunteers gave over 360,000 hours of service for The Salvation Army's Northern Division (Minnesota and North Dakota). Imagine how dramatically The Salvation Army's impact would lessen without the help of dedicated volunteers...So to all of you wonderful volunteers: Thank you for volunteering. Thank you for helping us impact countless families and individuals. Thank you for helping those who cannot help themselves.
Speaking of volunteers, I recently had the privilege of interviewing Tim and Desta Hunt, a couple who have dedicated their retirement years to volunteering for The Salvation Army in any way they can. Their story is inspirational and I encourage you to read about it in this article.
(To learn more about volunteer opportunities with The Salvation Army, click here.)
Monday, April 13, 2009
More Than Just a Basket
To many, handing out Easter baskets might seem low on the list of priorities when it comes to helping those affected by the floods. But to those on the receiving end, these Easter baskets came with a message of hope and comfort, a message that they desperately needed to hear.
Take Oslo, MN for example. Last week this tiny town was only accessible by airboat, and the effects of isolation and helplessness began to weigh heavily on the residents. On Thursday, The Salvation Army arrived in Oslo with a surprise: Easter baskets for everyone, including the adults. This small token of love revived the community in a way that will not be soon forgotten. The Mayor of Oslo said that "a week ago our citizens were showing signs of depression and edginess, but when The Salvation Army came to town and began to give supplies and hot meals, it was enough for the whole town to come to the community center and share a meal and just be able to get out of their homes and talk to one another."
Major Ed Wilson of the nearby Grand Forks Salvation Army tells about a little boy he met while spending time with the Oslo community: "Mouth full of bubble gum from his basket and both cheeks painted--one with a lightning bolt and the other with a shark--he said to his friend, 'Man, I am really having a lot of fun here.'" Major Wilson also spoke to an 80 year-old lady of Oslo and asked her if she got her basket, "Her eyes lit up and she said yes, it is the first Easter basket that she ever received in her life." Major Wilson went on to say, "Sometimes we think that perhaps a basket is the least of things we should worry about during these times, but I think Thursday night reaffirmed how important it is that we stay sensitive to God's leading and be willing to obey. Just a basket to us perhaps, but to Oslo, it was a message from God that He cares and He can use just a basket to bring hope in a time of hopelessness."
Thank you to all of the volunteers who put these Easter baskets together and all of those who donated the candy which made over 3,700 baskets to bring hope to many who may have felt forgotten.
Take Oslo, MN for example. Last week this tiny town was only accessible by airboat, and the effects of isolation and helplessness began to weigh heavily on the residents. On Thursday, The Salvation Army arrived in Oslo with a surprise: Easter baskets for everyone, including the adults. This small token of love revived the community in a way that will not be soon forgotten. The Mayor of Oslo said that "a week ago our citizens were showing signs of depression and edginess, but when The Salvation Army came to town and began to give supplies and hot meals, it was enough for the whole town to come to the community center and share a meal and just be able to get out of their homes and talk to one another." 
Major Ed Wilson of the nearby Grand Forks Salvation Army tells about a little boy he met while spending time with the Oslo community: "Mouth full of bubble gum from his basket and both cheeks painted--one with a lightning bolt and the other with a shark--he said to his friend, 'Man, I am really having a lot of fun here.'" Major Wilson also spoke to an 80 year-old lady of Oslo and asked her if she got her basket, "Her eyes lit up and she said yes, it is the first Easter basket that she ever received in her life." Major Wilson went on to say, "Sometimes we think that perhaps a basket is the least of things we should worry about during these times, but I think Thursday night reaffirmed how important it is that we stay sensitive to God's leading and be willing to obey. Just a basket to us perhaps, but to Oslo, it was a message from God that He cares and He can use just a basket to bring hope in a time of hopelessness."Thank you to all of the volunteers who put these Easter baskets together and all of those who donated the candy which made over 3,700 baskets to bring hope to many who may have felt forgotten.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
I was away for a week and came back to find seven boxes of lollipops in my office…
Why, you ask? Well, it wasn’t a welcome home gift from my fellow co-workers, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s even better than that: the lollipops are just a portion of the donated candy that will be used to create 10,000 Easter baskets for the children of the Red River Valley who could definitely use a little Easter cheer right about now. 
The Easter baskets will be put together tomorrow afternoon with the help of 150 volunteers, but candy donations are still needed to make this a success. (Individually-wrapped chocolate bunnies are most needed.) Read all of the exciting details and how you can help in this press release, “Easter Cheer Rolls to Red River.” If you haven’t caught up on The Salvation Army’s involvement in the flood prevention/relief, you can browse all of the recent press releases in the news section of our website.
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