Salvation Army praises community’s generosity

The Salvation Army of Southern Indiana’s statistics give a tangible account of thousands of people and gifts that met needs of people of all ages.

Throughout the holiday season, its Angel Tree, bell-ringing kettle collections and other social service assistance directly benefitted those in its service area of Crawford, Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington counties.

“We are so thankful for such a generous community with people who give of their time and money to serve those in need every holiday season,” said Capt. Jonathan Fitzgerald. “In the spirit of accountability, we are pleased to share the impressive results from our holiday services provided during November and December.”

The Angel Tree program provided 3,026 children with books (two for each child, courtesy of a grant from the New Albany Rotary Club), clothing and toys to 3,026 children. Sixty-two volunteers served 613 hours to make that program possible.

Eight hundred bikes were distributed, thanks to partnerships with Bikes or Bust and the New Albany Fire Dept.

Toys, provided by Toys for Tots, were chosen by parents and guardians and helped personalize Christmas for each child.

Also distributed were 1,743 food gift cards to ensure that each family had a Christmas meal, thanks to the Kroger Food Angel program.

The iconic Red Kettle campaign collected $214,615, falling short of the $240,000 goal. Volunteering as iconic bell ringers at seven area locations were 151 people who amassed 1,424 hours.

The local PC Home Stores matched kettle donations from Dec.17 through 24, along with in-store donations, for a total gift of $20,000.

“We thank our community for their ongoing support,” Fitzgerald said. “These funds help us to continue to serve all year through our emergency assistance, food pantry and disaster services. We recognize the privilege and honor to be trusted with such significant investments.”

The Salvation Army of Southern Indiana serves all six counties from its main office at 2300 Green Valley Road in New Albany.

For more information, call 1-812-944-1018.

Editor’s note: The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. Of each dollar The Salvation Army spends, 82 cents is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.