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The Salvation Army Southern New England Division - Connecticut & Rhode Island

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THE SALVATION ARMY

Whether it’s embracing the homeless, uplifting the abused or abandoned, training and mentoring the disadvantaged, providing character building programs for youth, or assisting the displaced or elderly, The Salvation Army’s goal remains the same: serving the most people, meeting the most needs, DOING THE MOST GOOD!


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HOLIDAY STORE DONATIONTHE WTIC 1080 HOLIDAY STORE SETS A NEW RECORD!

GREATER HARTFORD – The WTIC 1080 NewsTalk Radio Holiday Store
set a new record for 2008. This year’s total $188,230.03 exceeded last year’s cash contributions by over $14,000.  In a bad economy, many people reached deep into their pockets and made very generous contributions to help people that are less fortunate.  Captain Terry Wood, Greater Hartford Area Coordinator for The Salvation Army said, “People are so generous.  It is truly amazing.  This is the real spirit of  Christmas.  We could not do our work without the support of  WTIC and all their listeners. We are extremely grateful.”Donation UTC

(Andrea Doane, UTC director of Corporate Citizenship and Community Investment, presents a large check to the WTIC 1080 Morning Drive Time Morning Broadcast Team (Diane Smith & Ray Dunaway) and Captain Terry L. Wood, Area Coordinator of The Salvation Army of Greater Hartford. The check is to support the 2008 WTIC Holiday Store. United Technologies returned this year as the lead sponsor.)


THE SALVATION ARMY EDS GOES HOLLYWOOD IN VOLUNTOWNExtreme Makeover Set

VOLUNTOWN, CT - The Salvation Army Southern New England Emergency Disaster Services Canteen was on the scene (or more correctly behind the scene) at the recent filming of ABC's Extreme Makeover - Home Edition TV show. The Extreme Makeover crews built a brand new home for the Girard family, who were struck by multiple tragedies this year.                    

(pictured: Lt. Colonel Hunter on the set.)

Click here for rest of story.


Tatiana & JuliaMost kids at this time of year are eagerly waiting for Santa to bring them presents from the North Pole. But two East Hartford sisters aren't waiting for any Santa - they decided to become Santas themselves for children in Africa.

Reprinted from the East Hartford Gazette-It took Tatiana Rivera 11, a student at Sunset Ridge School, and Julia Rivera 8, a pupil at Goodwin Elementary, two years to collect hundreds of the plastic toys that come with the kids' meals in fast food restaurants.

For two years they also had to resist the urge of every kid: Tearing open the little plastic bags to play with the toy they could clearly see inside.

But they resisted. Tatiana and Julia had a better idea.
Now, with the help of their mother and their grandmother, boxes of their collected, unopened 'Happy Meal' toys will travel to the other side of the planet. They packed them all up this week and took them to be shipped to Nairobi, Kenya. There they will be a surprise for local kids in need.


Nice enough. But it will not only be the plastic toys the two girls will send off to Kenya. Their grandmother, Linda Carrasquillo, said the girls also found time to add in some school supplies to ship to the students in Africa.
"We are doing this because we want the kids in Africa to have a nice Christmas," explained Tatiana this week. "Because they don't have a lot of toys, and we have," Julia added.

The effort is part of a lesson their mother, LeNissa Rivera, has imparted to her girls. Their grandmother explains it is simply a message of charity, and what it means to share.

"At first they where unsure about giving away toys - their toys," Rivera smiles. "But they really got into it. And then they had a lot of fun. Now they are very excited for the kids in Africa to have at least something, a little bit of what they are having. And for them to be doing it now during the Christmas season is really great."
Why did they chose Kenya?

The family has a connection with the Salvation Army explained Carrasquillo. They belong to the East Hartford Corps, and LeNissa Rivera works at the organization's headquarters in Hartford. The entire family has been motivated and inspired by the church's message of charity and help for the less fortunate.

And, since the Salvation Army runs a mission in Kenya that will distribute the gifts to children who need them, that was an obvious destination for the girls' generosity.
Still the grandmother says, sending the toys to Nairobi proved more difficult and expensive than they had realized. But knowing how important it is for Tatiana and Julia to give happiness to children less fortunate, the family is very determined to follow through with the sisters' plan.

That also is not the only project the two girls are involved in reveals their grandmother. With Christmas around the corner, and the Salvation Army's familiar red kettles set up everywhere, the two girls also want to ring the bell at Salvation Army kettles around town. So, if Gazette readers happen to see two very young girls standing out there, in the cold, ringing a bell you can stop and thank them for a job well done.

"I'm really proud of them," says their mother as their grandmother also beams.

 


THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE GOOD NEIGHBOR ENERGY FUND!

Good Neighbor Fund

PROVIDENCE - Wednesday, December 3rd was a huge day for The Rhode Island State Office of TSA . On that day the largest philanthropic foundation in the Ocean State bestowed a grant of $167,000 on the Good Neighbor Energy Fund . The grant was presented by Neil Steinberg, president and chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Foundation.

(Pictured in the photo are L to R Mr. Neil Steinberg, RI Foundation Pres and CEO, Major Doug Burr and Mr. George Graboys, Chm. Of the Bd of the R.I. Foundation and former CEO of Citizens Bank)

This unprecedented emergency donation was part of an overall $500,000 gift to assist three organizations in Rhode Island which provide the needy with food, shelter and heat. The other two recipients,which also received $167,000 each, were The R.I. Community Food Bank and Crossroads RI, the largest homeless shelter in the state.

Click here to read entire story.

Click here for an additional story.


VOLUNTEERS SHARE FOOD AND WARMTH ON THANKSGIVING MORNING WITH
GREATER HARTFORD'S ISOLATED ELDERLY CITIZENS

Thanksgiving MealHARTFORD - On Thanksgiving morning hundreds of volunteers from throughout the area joined with The Salvation Army of Greater Hartford, to help deliver over 600 holiday meals to homebound, isolated elderly and disabled citizens.

The "Holiday Meal Program," started in 1970, has become an annual tradition for many families and individuals. Volunteers met at Salvation Army Divisional Headquarters, located at 855 Asylum Avenue in Hartford. The volunteers delivered a warm meal and a friendly face to the homebound, isolated elderly individuals that they served. Happy Thanksgiving!
Click Here for more information.


SALVATION ARMY PAIR HELP LAUNCH DRIVE

The WetzelsFriday, November 28, 2008
New Haven Register Newspaper
By Alexandra Seltzer, Special to the Register

NEW HAVEN - New Haven Salvation Army Capt. David B. Wetzel Sr. works closely with his wife, Capt. Karen Wetzel, but says they differ in things they are good at.

"My wife likes the business aspect, and since I'm a preacher, I like to speak to people at different places" David Wetzel said.

Together, their talents spell success for the couple's life's work: They have for three years been in charge of the Salvation Army in New Haven and are now entering their fourth holiday season and the Red Kettle/Bell Ringers drive with the organization here.

The Wetzel's have worked with the Salvation Army for 13 years. They started off with the Army in New Jersey.
"My husband and myself have been involved with the Salvation Army since we were born," Karen Wetzel said, "We are members of the Salvation Army Church."

click here for rest of story.

Online Red Kettle


UPSUPS DELIVERS FOR
THE SALVATION ARMY

HARTFORD - Sixty plus United Parcel Service (UPS) managers participated in a "extreme makeover" at The Salvation Army's Hartford's North End Corps on October 31. The UPS managers were participating in their national "Global Volunteer Month" project and with the help of the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut they picked The Salvation Army as their beneficiary this year.

Everything from cleaning, prepping, painting, sawing, hammering, shoveling to shredding was accomplished. Some employees even took time to read to the children enrolled in the early child care program. "These people came to work . . . really work!

It's unbelievable the way everyone pitched in and the volume of projects that they completed. We have so many wants and our clients have so many needs . . . UPS answered our prayers" said North End Corps Officer Captain Ervin McKoy.

Marge Niedbalski, UPS District HR Manager took time out from painting and changing light bulbs to say, "We're here to help the community, our children, the future UPS'ers. We want to help the people that we deliver to . . . . everyone is part of the Brown family so that's why we do it."

John Loughery, District Manager for South New England District which represents Western Massachusetts and all of Connecticut was proud to say UPS Global Volunteer Day takes place all across the United States and in all the countries that we deliver to.

It gives us an opportunity to give back to the neighborhoods that we serve." He also presented a "large" $25,000 check to Captain McKoy for a new playground for the children in the early learning program.
Thanks Brown!

UPS Day of Caring
(John Loughery, UPS Vice President for South New England District presents a check for $25,000 to Salvation Army North End Corps Officer Captain Ervin McKoy, Greater Hartford Area Coordinator Captain Terry Wood, Southern New England Divisional CommanderLt. Colonel Barbara Hunter and Libby Richardson, Project Manager United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut.)

 

UPS Volunteer reads to Daycare
(UPS Employee Relations Manager Diane Hagi reads a story to the children in the Salvation Army early child care program)

WALK FOR WARMTHSLATERSVILLE CHURCH WALK
FOR WARM DONATION

SLATERSVILLE - On Sunday, November 23rd Majors Doug and Debbie Burr along with Good Neighbor Energy Board member Ted Grille of the Pascoag Utility District travelled to Slatersville, Rhode Island to accept a $23,000 donation from the members of the Slatersville Congregational Church.

 

Check to Salvation Army

The monies were raise by the members of the Church through a "Walk for Warmth " fundraiser which they recently held to support The Salvation Army's Good Neighbor Energy Fund in Rhode Island.

(Photo - left to right: Theodore G Garille, General Manager/CEO,, Pascoag Utility District Major Debbie Burr, Rhode Island State Coordinator, The Salvation Army Major Doug Burr, Rhode Island State Coordinator, The Salvation Army Annice Smith, Mission Committee, Walk for Warmth organizer, Slatersville Congregational Church Margaret Hanoian, Mission Committee Chair, Walk for Warmth organizer, Slatersville Congregational Church Reverend Eileen Morris, Pastor, Slatersville Congregational Church)


Warwick, RI Citizens BankCITIZENS BANK HELPS RING IN SALVATION ARMY KETTLE DRIVE

Written by HOWELL, JOHN,
Reprinted from Warwickonline.com

(pictured left to right: Major Doug Burr, Jeanne Cola, Vice President of Citizens Bank, Linda Hunt Branch Manager, Mayor Scott Avedisian of the City of Warwick)

Chewing gum, safety pins, tokens, pills, bits of hardware, a diamond ring and loose change - some of it foreign currency - is all part of what the Salvation Army finds in its holiday kettles.

Did we say diamond ring?

Yes, says Major Doug Burr, state coordinator for the Salvation Army in Rhode Island.

The ring was one of those surprises that was even a surprise to the donor. The ring didn't stay lost for too long however, as its owner realized what they had done and after connecting with The Salvation Army it was returned.

Click here for the rest of story.


Thank You, Htfd SteamboilerHARTFORD STEAM BOILER EMPLOYEES COAT DRIVE WARMS SALVATION ARMY'S HARTFORD CLIENTS!
Hartford Steamboiler
The Salvation Army presents a
Thank You plaque to CEO Doug Elliot.
(Pictured left to right - Lisa Goepfert, Doug Elliot, Lt. Colonel Barbara Hunteer, Joe Conklin and Mike Roy)

HARTFORD - Hartford Steam Boiler employees teamed up with The Salvation Army and the United Way to collect coats, hats, pants, gloves and mittens for people in need in Greater Hartford. The drive was held in the cafeteria over a three day period beginning on September 30th. Seventy-one employees donated articles of clothing to help keep Hartford's residents protected against the cold during the coming winter months.

Noreen Kuziak, Property Reinsurance Underwriter, who headed up the HSB team said, "Our employees were looking for a way to give back to the community. It was exciting to see everyone pitch in to help." Lisa Goepfert, Director of Social Services for the Salvation Army reported over $3,000 in clothing was collected and distributed within a week. "We really want to thank Hartford Steam Boiler employees for their support and for helping The Salvation Army fill our mission of providing aid to those who struggle to meet their basic human needs."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION


 

 


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