Grapevine Spotlight Focuses On:

The Salvation Army

"The Gift of Hope"

By Pedro Sempertegui

Grapevine Staff

As we near the end of the year, thoughts of numerous shopping trips fill the air. Plans for family outings to the mall are being discussed while quick stops at local shops are being made.  It's all for the ultimate goal of finding that perfect gift for that special someone.  After all, that's what this season is all about.

Throughout those journeys, we all see those unmistakable signs of the holiday season. That cute coffee shop girl now wears a bright red scarf to fight off the cold and happy couples walk around Lake Ella with hot drinks in hand. More notably, there is a recent surge of familiar red kettles popping up all over Tallahassee. To many, this symbol of good will and compassion is what marks the start of the gift giving season. It's hard to think of winter time without hearing that bells ringing from Salvation Army volunteers.

The Tallahassee Salvation Army Needs You!

Interested in Volunteering Yourself or Your Group to

Ring Bells or with The Sharing Tree?

Contact them today at (850) 222-0304

Aside from their devotion to helping the less fortunate, Salvation Army has been a major player in spreading the holiday spirit for over a century.  This holiday tradition started back in 1891 with Captain Joseph Mcfee.  He was a Salvation Army officer with a tremendous drive to help his fellow man.  When he served in San Francisco, he felt that there needed to be a way to help the poor in his city, something that he could do for them to give them help for the holidays.  So he came up with the idea to use a “Simpson's Pot” (large kettle) after seeing it used in England as a donation device to help the needy.

He found himself a large enough kettle and began his mission at the Oakland Ferry Landing. People passed by and noticed a sign on the front of the kettle that read “Keep the Pot Boiling.” With enough help from the city's people, Captain McFee was able to feed the needy Christmas dinner.

This devotion to helping the less fortunate is what drove Captain Mcfee and it is what continues to drive the Salvation Army.  Since that historic afternoon in 1891, the Salvation Army has taken that style of fundraising all across the world and has helped millions upon millions of people with the help of the community and charitable businesses.

I stopped by Tallahassee's branch and had a chat with Captain Julio DaSilva, and interestingly enough, he himself is a testament to the good deeds of the Salvation Army.  Growing up in north eastern Brazil, his life was touched by the charitable reach of the Salvation Army.  

His local branch helped feed and fund some education for the young minds of his community.  Captain DaSilva explained that the main thing that he found most effective about the Salvation Army's work was that it “aimed to reach the needy through action.  We follow the motto ‘Soap, Soup, Salvation'.” William Booth coined this phrase to illustrate that the Salvation Army doesn't prioritize condemning people for their sins over helping their ailments.  They feel that if their basic needs are not met, they will not be able to focus on the Gospel. Captain DaSilva made it clear that while they are a Christian organization, they are primarily a humanitarian service organization. “We like to think of it as our hearts are to God but our hands are to man."

The Tallahassee branch of the Salvation Army is gearing up to continue with the red kettle tradition starting November 11th.

With the struggling economy more and more families are in need of help and the Salvation Army is reaching out to the community to aid them in this endeavor, be it monetary donations or just a pledge of a few hours to help with the red kettle drive.

Salvation Army Captain Julio DaSilva & Grapevine's Pedro Sempertegui 

Volunteers can help bring in Christmas cheer by ringing that distinctive bell and collecting donations on behalf of this great organization.

Other ways to get involved in their holiday events is to volunteer for the Sharing Tree drive.  Every year the Salvation Army puts a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the Governors Square Mall.  The ornaments aren't all just for show, most represent needy children who, due to forces out of their control, aren't able to have gifts of their own.  These prayers are answered by caring families around town who take joy in donating gifts and money to a cause that's bigger than themselves.

You can adopt a family this Christmas by taking an ornament off the tree, which lists the genders and ages of the children in that family along with their modest gift wish. Otherwise some of these children may wake up Christmas morning and find very little under the tree for them.

It's not just individuals who help the less fortunate, businesses around Tallahassee have been giving money, time, and resources.  Melanie Lee, GM at Kia Autosport of Tallahassee, has been a long time contributor to the cause.  She said, "I have been involved with The Salvation Army since I was a kid.  I have seen firsthand how their programs do the most good for our community.  I continue my relationship with the Salvation Army because I know how important it is that every child has a Christmas."

Keep an eye out for those big red kettles and an ear out for some jingling bells and Christmas carols.  The holiday season is about giving to our family and community, so if you have some free time, spend it with the Salvation Army.  And when you're out shopping for your loved ones, don't forget to have some change to “keep the pot boiling”.  A little goes a long way.