Raise awareness: Children!

Last summer I had the opportunity to spend some time with children who were attending the summer day camp program at The Salvation Army in Irving.

The children at the day camp were challenged to raise money to help The Salvation Army in Kenya. (I blogged about their success- click here to read the story.)

Shortly after my visit, I reflected on how the children’s lives were changed by going to the summer day camp. You could see their faces full of joy and could tell how much The Salvation Army DFW really cares about children.

I've got good news! We offer more than just summer day camp.

Through our programs like sports clinics, music lessons, after school care, homework tutoring, and character building courses, the children are inspired, encouraged, and most importantly, shown Christ’s love.

Take a look at these precious faces. These pictures document all the wonderful things children get to do at a The Salvation Army DFW center.

I’m asking the folks who care about children to make it a point to raise awareness.

Zig Ziglar may have said it best. “Our children are our only hope for the future, but we are their only hope for their present and their future.”

What can you do?

1. Tell everyone you know that helping children is a cause you really care about.

2. Regularly post updates on your Facebook/Twitter page that raise awareness about The Salvation Army DFW’s children’s programs.

3. Volunteer to help/mentor/ teach children at a Salvation Army DFW center.

4. Financially support The Salvation Army DFW. Visit—salvationarmydfw.org

The Salvation Army Arlington Family Life Shelter

The last three months, The Salvation Army DFW has been blogging about hunger. In the blog posts, we've read the many different ways The Salvation Army DFW is helping people who need food.

Here's a quick recap. Click on the link to read the entire story.

• 
  
  Captain Kettle visits food pantries at The Salvation Army in Garland and Plano
• 
  
  Boy Scouts hold successful food drive
• 
  
  Meet an outstanding food pantry volunteer at The Salvation Army in McKinney
• 
  
   The Salvation Army Lewisville passes out snack bags to homeless people in the community

And now, we have one final posts related to hunger. Don't worry! The Salvation Army will continue to serve and feed the hundreds, but we'll be transitioning into a new focus area come April 1st. Remember, you can always still give and support The Salvation Army DFW's hunger campaign by donating on our website-- salvationarmydfw.org

 

 I present to you......

The Family Life Shelter at The Salvation Army in Arlington

The staff at the Family Life Shelter is exceptional. I went by to visit and see how they are fighting hunger.

Meet Michael.  He's the cook at the shelte and is a very funny guy. Michael really enjoys his job because he gets to help people every day.

The shelter serves three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On average they serve about 75 meals a day.

Families staying the shelter, along with children in the after school program, have the opportunity to enjoy a

healthy and delicious meal.

The salad bar offers lots of fresh fruits and vegetables!

And this little girl is ready to enjoy her burger and fries!

Read a short testimonial from Melissa. Melissa and her children have been staying at the Family Life Shelter for a few weeks. She says, she is grateful  the shelter provides meals for her family.

"Being able to have dinner as a family is the most important thing.

The shelter allows us to sit down and enjoy a meal together."

If you would like more information on The Salvation Army Arlington's Family Life Shelter, please click here.

Check back on our blog tomorrow to see what new topic The Salvation Army DFW will highlight next!

Come Help The Salvation Army at America's Run!

America's Run is coming up and we NEED your help by volunteering! This is going be an exciting 3 day event at Cowboys Stadium and we are so happy that The Salvation Army is partnering with America's Run.

If you would like to volunteer, please go to our website- salvationarmydfw.org
You can register there! You will not want to miss out. Come help The Salvation Army!

Here's a cool fact about the run...

Both the Half Marathon and 5K course will have a Finish Line like no other – on the field of Cowboys Stadium! As runners enter at field-level, friends and family can watch them on the world-famous Cowboy Stadium Video Boards for an exclusive high definition experience.

Garage Sale Benefits Food Pantry

Through out the past few months, The Salvation Army DFW has been highlighting hunger in the community. We are passionate about putting an end to hunger.  You might remember the blog post about The Salvation Army in Lewsiville providing snack bags to people in the community. If you don't, click here to read the post. It's a good story!

 While The Salvation Army in Lewisville is doing a tremendous job at passing out snack bags, they are struggling to keep their food pantry full. On an average day, they give out 40-50 bags of groceries. The Salvation Army could really use a boost in food and / or monetary donations.

To help restock their food pantry shelves, the center is holding a garage sale on Saturday, April 17th, from 9a.m. - 2 p.m..

Sheila Skipsey, The Salvation Army Lewsiville director, says all proceeds raised from the garage sale will benefit their food pantry.

"We really need food," Skipsey says. "More people are coming to us who need our help."

If you'd like to help with the garage sale, please contact The Salvation Army in Lewisville at 972-353-9400.

Just in case you missed it -- Ft. Worth Luncheon Video

Lace up your running shoes!

Have you heard the latest?

America's Run  2010 is proud to announce a partnership with The Salvation Army DFW!!

The run takes place April 9th - 11th. And it's not too late to sign up! Click here for event information!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

He's back!

Last month, Captain Kettle made his debut at The Salvation Army in Plano ... and now he's back!

This month, Captain Kettle visited The Salvation Army in Garland. And, wow! He had a good time.

He said hello to Major Branscum....

Captain Kettle was delighted to hear how well The Salvation Army was helping people through their food pantry program.

He spoke with Joann Welk, social worker, and she told him in February they helped 581 families with grocery assistance and passed out 4,648 loaves of bread!

 "One of the best parts of my job is seeing the smile on children's face when I give them a bag of food," Welk said.

Stay tuned to see where Captain Kettle visits next month!

A couple updates....

Sorry - It's been almost a week since our last update. The Salvation Army DFW has been very busy. Doing what? We had our inaugural Doing The Most Good luncheon in Fort Worth!

The event was a huge success, and we are so thankful for Wendy Davis, the luncheon chair, and The Salvation Army Ft. Worth advisory council for putting on an excellent event. Coach Gary Patterson, TCU head football coach, was the keynote speaker, and he did a great job! Visit The Salvation Army DFW's webpage to read more about the event .

Dan Earl Duggan, Salvation Army advisory council chairman; Wendy Davis, Doing The Most Good luncheon chair; and Coach Gary Patterson, TCU head football coach

On to other news, an update on The Salvation Army's work in Chile....

Salvation Army officers are continuing to work around the clock. Pump and generators are now installed, which helps provide clean water. Boxes of milk, pasta, rice, sacks of potatoes, disposable diapers, blankets, bedspreads, and sheets are being passed out to people. Read more about The Salvation Army's work in Chile at salvationarmyusa.org

Remember, it is not too late to donate to The Salvation Army Chile Disaster Fund. Click here to donate.

Don't forget to check back later this week to see which Salvation Army DFW center Captain Kettle visits next!

Salvation Army Responds to Devastating Earthquake in Chile

It's  sad to think that last month the world mourned for the people of Haiti after they experienced a catastrophic earthquake with a magnitude 7.0. And now, the people of Chile, just experienced a devestating 8.8 earthquake.

When the news broke early Saturday morning, February 27, it was devestating to hear that nearly two million people were affected and now displaced.

Luckily, The Salvation Army has made it easy to give through there text messaging campaign.
A person can text the word "CHILE" to 52000 on their cell phone and make a donation of $10. Your 100% donation will go to aide the people affected by this tragedy. (side note: the donation appears as a charge on your carrier bill and standard rates may apply.)

Stay tuned for more updates on The Salvation Army's efforts in Chile.

Watch this video about The Salvation Army's work in Chile...