Lubbock Salvation Army inviting public to celebrate National Salvation Army Week

LUBBOCK, Texas (NEWS RELEASE) - May 13-19 is National Salvation Army Week – a time for Americans to celebrate The Salvation Army, cheer and advocate for the people we serve, and recognize the donors, partners and volunteers who make our work possible.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the first National Salvation Army Week in 1954 as a reminder to Americans to give freely of themselves, saying, “Among Americans, The Salvation Army has long been a symbol of wholehearted dedication to the cause of brotherhood.”

The Salvation Army has been woven deep into the fabric of America since it arrived in 1880. Consider the following:

• U.S. astronaut John Young brought a Salvation Army flag to the moon in 1972.
• During both World Wars, female Salvation Army volunteers and officers, nicknamed “Lassies,” served coffee and donuts to U.S. soldiers battling on the front lines (National Donut Day is coming Friday, June 7).
• The Salvation Army first arrived in the U.S. in 1880 and in Lubbock in 1922 and has since helped positively change the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans.

Today The Salvation Army operates in 134 countries, providing food, shelter, housing, disaster relief and other services for millions of people in need. Each year, The Salvation Army provides hope and rescue to over 30,000 people throughout the Texas South Plains region. Every day, because of the partnership we share with our community:

• A Hope Tote (groceries and hygiene items) alters the trajectory of a local family’s life.
• Individuals in need of clothing access our Clothing Closet to gain what they need.
• Up to 125 men, women and children are housed in our shelters and residential facilities.
• Up to 25 youth who have aged out of foster care are housed and supervised at our facility as they move toward a life of independence.
• Families housed, yet living near the boundary of crisis, are provided with rent and utility assistance to keep them housed and secure.

The stories above are only the beginning, as every day, scores more success stories come to fruition through the work of The Salvation Army, our donors and our volunteers.

Teams of volunteers and staff will be acknowledging National Salvation Army Week this week by hosting a number of community events in Lubbock, Plainview and Levelland – each of those events will entail the deployment of our mobile food truck to provide a free lunch to the community. Our stores will also have special sales and activities throughout the week to keep shoppers mindful about how the income from our stores is used solely for the benefit of changing and improving people’s lives.

Tuesday, May 14 – Plainview Family Store - 615 Broadway – 11am-1pm

Thursday, May 16 – Levelland Family Store - 502 Avenue H – 11am-1pm

Friday, May 17 – Lubbock - Freriks Park (corner of Avenue K/16th Street) – 11am-1pm

You can help celebrate National Salvation Army Week by getting involved with helping your community. Here are three easy ways to get involved and/or make an impact:

• Drop by one of our free lunch events this week in Lubbock, Plainview or Levelland.
• Sign up to volunteer at one of our locations in Lubbock, Levelland or Plainview (www.salvationarmylubbock.org).
• In honor of The Salvation Army’s founding year of 1865, you can make a difference in somebody’s life by pledging to donate $18.65 monthly (www.salvationarmylubbock.org).