Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, National Commander of The Salvation Army USA

Here’s some exciting news:

The Salvation Army’s National Commander (aka CEO) Commissioner Israel Gaither was featured in The NonProfit Times’ Power & Influence Top 50. The report is an annual listing of the nonprofit sector’s most influential executives. Regarding The Salvation Army, the report reads:

“There’s a reason it has “army” in the name — roughly 3,600 officers, 112,500 soldiers, 422,500 members, 60,600 employees and 3.5 million volunteers serving 31 million people annually. Gaither leads a public service/policy behemoth that commands the attention of legislators and sector leaders.”

Congratulations Commissioner Gaither!

To view The NonProfit Times’ full report, click here:  http://nptimes.com/09Aug/NPTtop5019.pdf.

You can learn more about how The Salvation Army is doing the most good in communities across the country by following us on Facebook (The Salvation Army USA), Twitter (@SalvationArmyUS), and Flickr.

No child wants to have to think about going back to school after experiencing the freedom of summer vacation, but The Salvation Army is thinking ahead for them. Since some parents from low-income households may be unable to afford necessary back to school items for their children, we have been working all summer long in communities across the country to collect supplies and raise funds so that kids can confidently return to class ready to learn without having the distraction of missing materials.

In Omaha, NE where nearly one-third of the children live in poverty, The Salvation Army is partnering with local news station KETV 7 to provide thousands of kids with backpacks, school supplies and free physicals. Through August 11 they’re collecting items such as back packs, crayons, glue, erasers, notebooks, and much more. Find more information about how to help at www.givesalvationarmy.org.

With the help of retail store Kohl’s, The Salvation Army in Tucson, AZ is throwing its annual “Back-2-School Spree” on July 31. Local disadvantaged youth will receive a backpack full of school supplies, plus be awarded a $100 budget to shop for new school clothing at Kohl’s! Get details at www.thesalvationarmytucson.org.

Northeastern  Florida is accepting applications for their annual “Stuff the Bus” event which collects enough school supplies for more than 1,000 children from low-income families, helping prevent academic disadvantages caused by lack of supplies. Visit The Salvation Army of Northeastern Florida on Facebook to help or apply for aid.

Those are just a few of the many local Salvation Army’s who will be hosting their own back to school drives and events.

In addition, The Salvation Army is participating in a nation-wide partnership with Target on August 10 that will assist12,000 children across the country. Each child will receive an $80 gift card and their own shopping escort to help them find their school needs.

As you can see, The Salvation Army is working hard to ensure that as many children as possible return to school prepared with all the materials they need! School supplies are not something kids need to worry about – watching summer draw to a close is hard enough!

If you’d like to provide supplies for a child, contact your local Salvation Army for specific ways you can help.

The Salvation Army’s mission statement declares we serve to “meet human need.” Sometimes this looks like providing for the moment’s immediate need, and other times it means providing with a long term perspective by empowering the disadvantaged with the knowledge to better sustain themselves.

New York’s Newsday.com highlighted a great local Salvation Army response that morphed into an initiative to do both.

When calls from thousands of laid-off workers seeking financial aid inundated the office of Charles Roberts, Area Coordinator for The Salvation Army in Suffolk County, NY, Roberts recognized an opportunity to serve an overwhelming need shared by the community. He knew limited grant funds from Target would help cover some callers’ financial burdens, but Roberts wanted to provide a more valuable resource that would last beyond the next bill.

That’s where he found the inspiration for Families@Home, a financial mentoring program that matches families from Suffolk County with a financial expert in addition to offering monetary assistance towards bills. The idea is to meet emergency needs while also providing knowledgeable professionals to guide families in making wise choices in the long-term.

Read NewsDay.com’s full coverage of the story here: ‘Salvation Army offers financial mentoring’

Many members of the community have taken advantage of the program, but it’s  reported funding has almost run out. If you would like to support The Salvation Army’s service to those in financial need, contact The Salvation Army in Suffolk County, NY at 631-363-6100.

Do you have The Salvation Army's 'Bellringer' App for your iPhone?

Mashable, one of the most well-known blogs focused exclusively on social media, just released their list of “5 Non-Profit iPhone Apps You Should Know About,” and guess which app was included on that list! Yes, The Salvation Army’s  ‘ Bellringer’ made the ranks.

Mashable said, “The Salvation Army iPhone app, better known as the “Bellringer,” is simple in concept and execution, but powerful in action; turning your iPhone into a bell and any smart phone user into a bell-ringing volunteer. It’s a reminder to help support the thousands of people in need while letting you have some fun at the same time.” You can read the full review here.

Our app was inspired by our dedicated volunteers who  every holiday season faithfully ring bells outside of stores and at shopping malls. The Salvation Army ‘Bellringer’ iPhone app is a wonderful way to raise awareness for thousands of people in need and have a little fun at the same time.

Check it out by downloading ‘Bellringer’ at  http://bellringer.salvationarmyusa.org and you can share in the tradition of being a Salvation Army Bellringer volunteer all year round!

Today is the 59th Annual National Day of Prayer! This year’s theme is “For Such a Time as This” with a supporting verse of Nahum 1:7, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him.”

Do you pray? Why? What for?

If you have a request that you would like prayer for, email us at mediarelations@usn.salvationarmy.org. We’ll be posting requests throughout the day on our Facebook and Twitter pages (we’ll keep names private) so that you have the opportunity to be prayed for!

If you’d like more information about The National Day of Prayer, visit the official website at nationaldayofprayer.org. You can also read President Obama’s Proclamation here.

Honor Society stands against a Salvation Army Bed & Bread Club vehicle after serving meals to hungry men and women on the streets, one of the many Salvation Army programs they've been involved with.

They’re working their way up the east coast for their Here Comes Trouble tour, but trouble makers they’re not – the young pop rock band Honor Society continues their packed concert schedule while partnering with The Salvation Army, making their next stop in New York City.

They will be wrapping up National Volunteer Week with a concert at the NOKIA Theatre this Saturday night, performing after a day of service at The Salvation Army’s Harlem Temple Community Center (for you New Yorkers reading this, the Center is located at Lenox Avenue and 137^th Street).

Michael, Alex, Andrew, and Jason will work with 175 other volunteers to renovate The Salvation Army Harlem Center by painting rooms and murals, as well as building shelves for kids in the afterschool program. You can visit The Greater New York Division’s website here for more information about services offered by The Salvation Army.

When was the last time you went to a concert and the band had just finished a day of volunteer work?! And these guys have been doing things like this non-stop, from playing with kids, to feeding the homeless, to preparing beds at homeless shelters for adults, all as a part of the many Salvation Army Programs across the country.

They are a great example to their fans by using their talent to raise awareness of volunteering and supporting the work of The Salvation Army in communities around the nation!

After New York, Honor Society will head to Norfolk, Virginia on Sunday where they’ll be interviewed by The Norfolk Salvation Army’s monthly TV show, and then they’ll continue on to Washington, DC for a performance at the Rock N Roll Hotel Monday night.

We’ll be updating our social media sites with follow up info on these events, so make sure you save these links for the most up to date info:

Honor Society

Salvation Army Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyUSA

Salvation Army Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/salvationarmyus

Honor Society’s Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/honorsociety

Honor Society’s Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/honorsociety

Tony Ebersole has volunteered with The Salvation Army for than 10 years. Photo: The Salvation Army of the Syracuse Area

In the spirit of  National Volunteer Week, today we’re highlighting Salvation Army volunteer Tony Ebersole. He went to check out opportunities at his local Salvation Army in Syracuse, New York and liked it so much that he stayed 10 years!

After retiring, Tony decided he wasn’t ready to just sit at home. He had a strong to desire to stay active through volunteering, so one of Tony’s fellow Rotary Club members, who was a Salvation Army Advisory Board member, suggested he take a tour of our organization.

Shortly after, Tony began volunteering with the Syracuse Emergency Food Pantry in November of 1999. He not only worked diligently at his regular duties,  he even identified and implemented ways to make services more efficient and effective.  The Syracuse Salvation Army says that since then, “Tony has played an integral role in the Emergency Practical Assistance Department, really serving in a management capacity. Tony oversees and manages the food pantry including ordering,
budgeting and volunteer training.”

In 2005 The Salvation Army presented Tony with the ‘Can Do’ award for his outstanding leadership and generously donated time.  They even surprised him in November with a party celebrating the 10th anniversary of the first day he joined as a volunteer!

Tony’s spent more than a decade celebrating National Volunteer Week! We think it’s amazing how he has made serving his community a regular part of his life and are thankful for the many years of support he has lent The Salvation Army and those we serve.

For more information about The Salvation Army in Syracuse, NY, visit their website at www.sasyr.org.

As we recognize Earth Day’s 40^th anniversary, we want to share with you a few ways The Salvation Army strives to be responsible stewards of our environment and resources, as well as some fun events we’re holding to celebrate Earth Day:

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

• EnviRenew is a Salvation Army initiative that advocates comprehensive green building standards for New Orleans households and neighborhoods. Prompted by ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina, the program is helping to build affordable, energy efficient homes, and $10 million in grants were recently awarded to 5 New Orleans neighborhoods. Visit www.envirenew.org to learn more!

• The Salvation Army in Michigan has partnered with state energy provider Inergy Propane and its 30 vendors to encourage their customers to donate their used propane tanks. Inergy Propane will recycle the tanks and donate all proceeds to The Salvation Army’s utility program that helps those in need pay their bills. Click here to visit The Salvation Army websites for Eastern, Western, and Upper Michigan.

• Did you know the average American produces about 4.5 lbs of waste every day, adding up to about 250 tons each year for our total population? With your help, The Salvation Army reduces this amount by reusing your donated goods to sell at our Family Thrift Stores.  Your belongings are spared from landfills and fewer new products need to be manufactured! Visit our website at www.satruck.org to find out more about donating.

• Speaking of our Thrift Stores,  student designer Tamara Stratton of the Noah’s ARC Interior Design Challenge, in which students designed living areas with all recycled pieces, wrote an article about responsible renovation with Salvation Army resources. Read her article here at our Western Terrirtory’s Expect Change blog!

EARTH DAY EVENTS

• Catch a flick about the astonishing things our world holds through a free showing of Disney’s ‘Earth’ tonight at 6PM at The Salvation Army’s Kroc Center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Voluntary cash donations will be accepted for their scholarship fund. Find more info at www.kroccda.org.

• In New Orleans, The Salvation Army rented out  the Elmwood Theater so that students of their Emerge program and friends of EnviRenew can enjoy a free showing of Disneynature’s new ‘Oceans’ movie in the early afternoon. Click here to learn more at Salvation Army New Orleans’ website.

Today is the LAST day to help The Salvation Army win a free full page, full color ad in USA TODAY!

The charity with the most tweets wins, so don’t forget, log into your Twitter account and tweet the following message:

“#AmericaWants The #SalvationArmy to get a full-page ad in USA TODAY.”

For more information, read the USA TODAY article here or check out our original blog post.

And while you’re on Twitter, stop by and visit us at www.twitter.com/salvationarmyus .

Twitter fans, here’s your chance to help support The Salvation Army!

The Kindness community has announced USA TODAY’s “#AmericaWants” Twitter campaign for charity where the charity with the most ‘tweets’ wins a full-page, full-color ad in USA TODAY!

So where do you come in?

Simply tweet the following text:

“#AmericaWants The Salvation Army to get a full-page ad in USA TODAY.”

Yes, it’s that easy, but please make sure you include ALL WORDING in the quotation marks in order for your tweet to be considered. Otherwise, you’re tweet won’t be counted.

If you don’t have an account, it’s easy to set one up! Then you can paste this text in as your first tweet. And don’t forget to encourage your friends and families to retweet your message.

The contest only lasts through the end of Friday, April 16, so start tweeting! And while you’re at it, make sure to check out our Twitter page at http://twitter.com/salvationarmyus. For more information, read the USA TODAY article here.