THE SALVATION ARMY
Non-Profit Spotlight
Non-Profit Spotlight: The Salvation Army Taking an in-depth look at a local non-profit, The Salvation Army and their community impact Tell us about The Salvation Army Mission statement: 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 was founded in 1865, and now serves people in need in 132 countries around the world. Here in The United States, there is a Salvation Army presence in every zip code. Here in Rochester, The Salvation Army prioritizes healthcare, housing, and hope. Our services include a medical clinic, a dental clinic, a pharmacy, an apartment complex for the chronically homeless, a rapid rehousing program, rent and utility assistance, a daily served meal, a downtown food shelf, a drop in day center, youth programs, ministry, and more. Our purpose as an organization has always been to provide for the basic needs of people. Our founder, William Booth, was a Methodist Minister in mid 1800s London. He was disturbed to learn that the church was not a source of support for the poor. At that time, people had to pay a tax to sit in a pew for Sunday worship services. So Booth took to the streets, becoming one of the first ministers to preach from on the curbs and sidewalks. He quickly learned that he couldn't minister to people when they didn't have roofs over their heads, cloths on their backs, and food in their bellies. This realization inspired Booth and his wife, Catharine, to found The Salvation Army in 1865 as a social services organization that would care for both the souls and the physical needs of people. Within 25 years, the organization had spread to other countries. Today, The Salvation Army has been in existence for over 150 years, serves millions of people nationwide, and has grown to become one of the 10 largest charitable organizations on the planet. What inspired the founding of The Salvation Army and how has your organization evolved over the years? Please share a highlight of how your organization has impacted the Rochester region Every small victory has a major impact on this community. In 2024, The Salvation Army housed a single, homeless woman who was expecting her first child in early November. In 2024, our rental assistance program kept a widowed mother with a special needs child from losing their apartment and becoming homeless. In 2024, hundreds of uninsured people with diabetes received insulin free of charge from our Good Samaritan Health Clinic. In 2024, we kept
over 1,000 people out of the emergency room by providing tooth extractions in our dental clinic. In 2024, The Salvation Army provided Christmas presents to over 900 children in Olmsted County, in addition to over 600 winter coats for adults and children. We served just under 21,000 meals in 2024, and are now serving an average of 120 meals a day. Our impact is far reaching across a broad spectrum of basic needs, many of which are also essential needs. We are a safety net, with between 8,000 and 10,000 unduplicated individuals coming to us for help every year in Olmsted County alone. How can the community become involved in the important work The Salvation Army does? Our website is rochestersa.org and our phone number is 507-288-3663. Members of the community can use either contact method to reach our staff about volunteering, donations, advocacy, and more. It's important for people reading this to know that the months of October through December are when we have more volunteer opportunities than any other time of the year. It's also when we raise between one third, and one half of the dollars we'll need to provide services for so many people throughout the entire year. There's a way for everyone to contribute and to participate. What’s an interesting fact about The Salvation Army that most people don’t know? Everything we've listed above. We have people who have been regularly involved with The Salvation Army for decades say to us, "oh, I didn't realize The Salvation Army did that." Another question we often get, especially during the kettle season, is, "if you don't have a thrift store in Rochester, anymore, why are you collecting kettle money?" any members of our community recognize the shield, they expect to see the red kettles every year, and they have a sense that The Salvation Army does good things. However, we've found that many of them would be hard pressed to describe the services we provide to people in this community. We want people to know when they give to the red kettles, when they volunteer, when they support our organization in any way, that they are contributing to tangible, basic needs
services for thousands of people right here in Olmsted County. We provide healthcare, housing and hope, and it's important that our community know this.
16 | ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE — DECEMBER 2024
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