SALVATION ARMY CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF SERVICE
Gov. Quinn, Mayor Daley Proclaim March Salvation Army Month
The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division is being recognized for 125 years of service to people in need by having March proclaimed Salvation Army Month.
This honor was bestowed on The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who issued proclamations designating March as The Salvation Army Month in the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois respectively.
The recognitions are a long way from how The Salvation Army was received in Chicago on March 1, 1885 when two Salvation Army officers fresh from New York held their first meeting at Bush Temple, Chicago Avenue and Clark Street.
A March 2, 1885 story in the Chicago Tribune said of the meeting:
“There were delegations of young men and women from Larrabee Street and Clybourn Avenue who came to scoff and remained to make themselves generally unpleasant for the hallelujah forces. Inside it was cold and damp; out of doors, a parcel of impish small boys, incited by mature sinners across the street, were peppering the front door with snowballs. It was painfully evident that the “army” was not in favor in the neighborhood.”
From this humble beginning, The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division has evolved into 16 Corps Community Centers in Greater Chicago and another 13 stretching from Rockford, Illinois to Gary-Merrillville, Indiana providing essential programs and services to people needing assistance.
“Our Corps Community Centers are the centerpiece of our commitment to people in need, providing educational, recreation and training programs and functioning as safe havens and centers for community interaction, development, progress and worship, said David E. Grindle, division commander, Salvation Army Metropolitan Division.
Last year, the Army provided emergency assistance to 128,736 people, helping them to pay rent, mortgage, and utility bills. And mobile feeding, congregate and community food pantry programs provided more than 2.1 million nutritious meals to hungry people of all ages. Combining all shelter programs, each night more than 1,100 people were accommodated under a Chicagoland Salvation Army roof.
The Salvation Army also has numerous programs for children, including before and after-school programs, character building programs, tutoring and training, such as helping children to acquire computer and internet literacy skills. The Army also is a prominent provider of Head Start programs that give pre-school children a strong foundation in learning, and is one of Chicago-area's largest providers of music instruction. Last year, The Salvation Army provided more than 2,600 music class sessions, with a total attendance of more than 28,000 students and young adults.
Other services provided by the Metropolitan Division include emergency lodging for families and individuals in crisis, disaster relief, senior housing, and substance abuse rehabilitation programs, to name a few.
