There’s only one week left to help The Salvation Army ‘Refresh’ Detroit, so be sure to get your votes in (remember, 1 vote per cause each day)!

The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit has a great idea to use $250,000 of Pepsi Refresh Project grant funds to serve members of their community who are most in need. They’ve set up a plan to provide an additional 55,254 meals and 1,000 more nights of shelter to homeless and at-risk individuals and families. You can find all the details of the proposal at http://www.refresheverything.com/salmich.

The Salvation Army of Detroit is one of the top organizations in the running and needs the support of online voters to earn the grant. If you’d like to support The Salvation Army’s work in supporting families and individuals in need, just follow these easy steps:

1. Visit their proposal page under the ‘Food and Shelter’ category at http://www.refresheverything.com/salmich.
2. Click ‘Vote for This Idea’
3. Follow the prompts

Voting ends July 31. Thanks for your support!

For more information about how The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit is “doing the most good,”  visit their website at www.salmich.org or find them on Facebook and Twitter @salmich.

For additional background on the Pepsi Refresh Project, click here.

The Salvation Army knows that need knows no season.

Unfortunately, in a troubled economy with more people than ever before seeking help from social service agencies, the Army – and many similar organizations – has found itself in need of help.

Food kitchens and pantries across the country have seen exponential increase in the community’s need for their services.  However, as need continues to rise, donations are becoming few and far between.

However, for one Salvation Army Food Pantry in Austin, Minnesota, the calvary has arrived.

The Austin Daily Herald reports that the United Way’s board of directors in that locale will make a $15,000 donation from their Emergency Fund to assist the Salvation Army in paying its bills.

According to the article, the Army had sent out a plea for help to the community and all of its major donors for help.  The United Way, recognizing the Austin Salvation Army as a sponsored partner, awarded the grant from its Emergency Fund.

Sadly, the story of the Austin Salvation Army is commonplace the nation over.  While are generous during the Army’s Red Kettle Campaign at Christmas, donations of time, talent and money are less plentiful throughout the year when the funds are still needed to support daily social services to the community.

You can help the Army in your area, too, by making a donation.  Online donations can be made here or you can call 1-800-SAL-Army.  You can even mail donations to your local Salvation Army using the National Website’s zip code locator, located in the upper right-hand corner of the site’s homepage.

Be a hero…do some good!

(photo by Eric Johnson) Lori Blanton, case manager for the Salvation Army, stands in the a store room at the Salvation Army that sits low on food items. The Salvation Army, a source for those in need, has now found itself in need, partly because of the struggling economy.

The Salvation Army of Jamestown (New York) received a $97,900 grant from the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County for 2009-10.

The Post-Journal reported that the Army will use the money to fund four support services programs: the Comprehensive Financial Assistance Program, the Children and Family Outreach Program, the Non-Residential Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services, and the Residential Domestic Violence Shelter.  Learn more about each program here.

Individuals may contact The Salvation Army at 716-664-4108 for even more information.

The United Way’s grant to the Jamestown Salvation Army is but one example of social service organizations uniting and supporting one another to do good.  Often, especially during disaster response efforts, the Army works side-by-side with The United Way, The American Red Cross and others to achieve one common goal: serving and supporting victims and survivors of tragedy.

The Salvation Army is fortunate enough to have new partners join in their work to serve others daily.  Citizens across the country – and even the world – are always donating of their time and talents to the Army.

When they heard that their local Salvation Army was in need, members of the Sabine Federal Credit Union in Texas sprang into action.

According to The Record Newspaper, in just over a week’s time, the employees had collected over 380 food items. They also contributed and received monetary donations from board of directors totaling $175.  On top of these contributions, a corporate donation of $1,000 was made. Way to go!

So, if you’re concerned that, alone, what you do isn’t making a great enough impact, take a cue from The United Way and the Sabine FCU: don’t recreate the wheel.  Recognize the good others do and join them.  This is Doing The Most Good.