My Experience Volunteering at the Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is where I did my service hours. I am an inquisitive person by nature, so before I stepped foot onto the Salvation Army of Jonesboro Arkansas, I spent a couple of hours researching the establishment, their solutions, and straight how they influence the lives in the neighborhood of Jonesboro. Interestingly adequate I identified that they have more than 15 various solutions available to service the neighborhood. From camping activities to worship services, for men and ladies of all ages. The mission statement for the Salvation Army as a whole is “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical portion of the universal Christian Church. Its message is primarily based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” I was raised pretty religious, but as I grew up I created my own decisions about religion and my faith. In spite of my private beliefs I can fully support this mission statement. I loved how the salvation army mentions meeting the human wants “without discrimination,” This is an critical aspect to me simply because unlike some outreach and neighborhood applications that are geared to a specific demographic the Salvation Army is for those in need no matter the race, religion, or the condition.

The next set of info I discovered on the Salvation Army, that pegged my interest further was: how they do, what they do. Straight quoted from their sites they begin by assessing the require of each and every neighborhood in which they service. They perform to recognize the “obstacles, hardships, and challenges native to the area’s particular population”. Secondly, the Salvation Army takes the information they gathered and begin building local programs. These programs are “designed to offer you quick relief, brief-term care, and extended-term development in the regions that will ideal benefit the community”. Lastly, the Salvation army reinvests in to the neighborhood in which they are servicing. They do this by “offering the local programs to the local neighborhood, operating to continually optimize their efficacy through spiritual, physical, and emotional service”. This straight forward pondering and method I truly appreciate. I believe this is how most if not everybody confronts their own individual obstacle in this same way.

Following searching into how the Salvation Army meets the wants of the a variety of communities it serves, I decided to look further into the demands of the men and women in Jonesboro. I found on Information USA’s internet site that the poverty price is near 22%. That data is surprising to me that close to a quarter of this city’s population is on or beneath the poverty line. These people’s fundamental demands are not met, and I can see how the Salvation Army can positively influence their lives. With the state that our government is in now, in we need to have a lot more than ever, entity’s like the Salvation Army. With a developing population the requirements for the Salvation Army will only boost.

I feel so fortunate to have been in a position to volunteer at the Salvation Army. My expectations were not high. I believed I would volunteer my handful of hours a day, and I did not expect to acquire a lot from this. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. My extremely first visit I was greeted at the door by two modest kids. I was shocked how excited they had been running around tagging every single other and playing. Their dad came up speedily behind them and he introduced himself to me, and I to him. He went on to ask why I was coming to the Salvation Army, and I explained to volunteer. He told me he and his son’s come each week to the worship solutions on Sundays. However, for the duration of the week they come and drop off clothes his sons can no longer put on, canned or any nonperishable foods he has for the food pantry. I was impressed due to the fact I did not know that folks around Jonesboro genuinely supported the Salvation Army. He went on to explain that he volunteers and assists as a lot as he can with the Salvation Army due to the fact he utilized to be homeless living in shelters where the Salvation Army would come deliver meals to the shelters. From my initial time visiting I met much more and a lot more people with similar stories. The workers at the Salvation Army have been sort and welcoming every time I arrived. I helped with sorting the meals in the food pantry on my second check out. In the food pantry, is exactly where I met a lady who told me she helps out in all the various programs the Salvation Army has to offer you, which includes: worship services, the store, women’s ministries, youth church, and rehabilitation programs. She told me she assists out with most of the programs and itself in basic due to the fact of the remarkable influence the Salvation Army has had on her life personally. She explained that when she was developing up her mother was in and out of rehab facilities, she says when her mother became involved with the Salvation Army her life turned totally around. I was fortunate enough in the course of my life personally to not be affected by such harsh situations. I have constantly discovered that my life was far more comfy than my peers, we had been not millionaires, but my loved ones was offered for and comfortable. Nevertheless, my parents consistently instilled in all of their kids the energy of paying it forward. My siblings and I constantly make an effort to try to volunteer, but often times fall brief. I feel as though often volunteering is difficult when you can't see the direct effects of your function being done. Whilst that is now shameful to say I am confident I was not the only individual who felt this way. I have now knowledgeable meeting with folks who had direct assistance from the entity I was volunteering with and while it felt wonderful. I realize how many individuals I did not get to meet that the Salvation Army supports every single day. I met a college student on 1 of my visits to the Salvation Army she was raised in a properly-off family not like my own. She moved to Jonesboro to go to Arkansas State. She told me her parents supported her fully till half way via her freshman year she found out she was pregnant. However, her parents stopped supporting her immediately. She was distraught and after her initial lease was up she had no where else to turn. She told me of her struggles to uncover garments and issues for her child. She became connected with the personnel at the Salvation Army and they helped her out a lot. Without having discrimination these strangers supported her without having hesitation.

I think that a greater community effort to much better supplement the wants that the Salvation Army could have, to far better fill the demands of the neighborhood is a cycle that needs to begin. I am positive there are individuals who want to help but don’t know where to start. I would like to implement a better promotion for donations, volunteers, and fundraising. If the folks of the city of Jonesboro, around 72 thousand individuals, had been produced conscious of the struggles that individuals in their personal backyard face each and every day they would better be capable to support facilities trying to provide aids for these men and women. Sustaining the numerous things the Salvation Army does to help in the lives of so many regional residents can become financially, and physically a burden to those who perform for the Salvation Army. My programs that I would enjoy to look far more into would be hosting events exactly where men and women like these I met who were so positively affected by the folks of the Salvation Army, could have a platform to share their stories. As this semester comes to an finish I hope that I can gather sufficient of my buddies up to aid out at the Salvation Army as properly, and I hope they can see what I saw there. I hope that the optimistic impact the Salvation Army had on my life I can carry that over and effect other individuals as properly.

I took what I discovered from the Salvation Army: empathy, caring, and non-discriminatory help into my personal life. Given that leaving the Salvation Army, for my essential hours, I have been there many occasions to make donations and to volunteer. I also have carried out the views that the Salvation Army supports in other a variety of methods. I have considering that visited with the people of the consolidated youth solutions as properly. I’ve taken up donations from a number of of my friends and taken them to the shelter. I realize my individual efforts are not producing the most significant effect, but I do think my perform and influencing other individuals can bring a good modify to Jonesboro, the kind of alter the Salvation Army is attempting to do as nicely. The city of Jonesboro is quite fortunate to have a spot like this had been men and women who require these supports can get them.