The Salvation Army began because the heart of its founder, William Booth, was grieved by the misery and suffering he saw on the London docks in the mid-1800s. It continues today because there is still misery and suffering and people in need. The mission statement of The Salvation Army is: “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.”
The Salvation Army has had the privilege of serving the state of Alaska since 1898 and Juneau since 1921. Most people know The Salvation Army as a thrift store or those people who ring bells at Christmas next to red kettles. We are those things but so much more!
Here in Juneau, we support our community in a number of ways. We provide a food pantry which is open twice a week, Tuesdays from 9-11:30 a.m. and Thursdays from 4-6:30 p.m. During this time, we also give out vouchers for the Family Store so people can get clothing or household items. My husband, Lt. Lance, does a church service for the residents at Wildflower Court once a week and enjoys visiting with people there. We both do separate bible studies at Lemon Creek Correctional Center once a week. This past summer we took 21 kiddos to camp, and in August, we provided back-to-school backpacks.
Last year we served 530 people at our amazing Thanksgiving dinner at The Hangar on the Wharf, as well as gave out 300 food boxes and over 1,500 gifts to kiddos at Christmas. Our Family Store provides low cost items to the community as well as providing a way to recycle used items. We also provide opportunities for people to complete their community service hours by volunteering at the store. Our adult rehabilitation center in Anchorage provides alcohol and drug recovery for men. We are a part of the Juneau Local Emergency Planning Committee, Food Resource Council, Alaska Food Coalition and Juneau Reentry Coalition, all areas that we feel strongly about supporting.
The Salvation Army could not do any of these things without the support of our community. The Rotary clubs provide the Christmas food boxes, continuing the work that Racheal MacLeod began. Service clubs and others ring the bells for us at Christmas and individuals and companies provide Christmas gifts for youth. Local stores and the community help in fundraising efforts which enable us to serve those in need. Our incredible Women’s Auxiliary hosts Grandma’s Attic at the Public Market and the lovely Strawberry Luncheon as fundraisers. Our amazing Advisory Board offers support and direction.
What people may not know about us is that The Salvation Army is a church! Our founder was a Methodist preacher and we continue in that tradition. My husband and I are both ordained pastors and we are passionate about seeing the love of God bring hope and healing to a world that is hurting. We have service every Sunday at 11 a.m. with Sunday school for children and adults at 10 a.m. Thursday evening bible study, Friday men’s Bible study, Wednesday ladies group and Wednesday intercessory prayer are all weekly events at the church. Our annual Christmas Bazaar, happening Nov. 19 this year, always has great gifts and food.
Christmas volunteer opportunities are abundant with our new “Golden Kettle” award which will go to the service club with the most donations in their kettles, so call and sign up to ring! We also welcome individuals, teams or businesses who might like to engage in friendly bell ringing competition. Sponsoring a family through our Adopt a Family program or picking up an Angel Tree tag and purchasing a gift for a kid are great ways to volunteer.
Thank you Juneau for your support of the work we do here, we could not do it without you! We consider it a privilege to serve our community alongside the many people and businesses who support us financially and with their time and talents!
• Lt. Dana Walters is the Juneau Corps Officer for Juneau’s Salvation Army.
