Salvation Army So Cal: Not Just Bell Ringers and Thrift Shops [VIDEO]

The Salvation Army in Southern California is active in the community through more than just bell ringers and retail stores. The Salvation Army's mission encompasses providing goods and services to those in need, from the Zahn Emergency Shelter to the Westwood Transitional Village to the Bessie Pregerson Child Development Center.These facilities, our Corps, and our programs address homelessness, addiction, poverty and more without discrimination.To learn more, contact your local Southern California Corps through socal.salvationarmy.org.Video produced by Zemma Productions.NOT JUST BELL RINGERSThe Salvation Army's presence in Southern California dates back to 1887, when an open air street meeting was held on the corner of Temple and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. To this day, a plaque remains in the sidewalk to commemorate the event.Prior to this meeting, a church, or Corps as it is known in The Salvation Army, had been established in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles Street. In 1892, the Corps moved to First Street where The Salvation Army occupied almost the entire block with a hotel for transient men and a men's industrial complex, the forerunner of today's Adult Rehabilitation Centers. In 1899, The Salvation Army opened a rescue home for young, expectant mothers in Los Angeles known as Booth Memorial Center.The Army's work expanded quickly in Los Angeles with the opening of other Corps and facilities for social welfare programs. One example is The Salvation Army Los Angeles Day Care Center, which opened in 1920 for mothers working to assist the war effort. Even today, L.A. Day Care serves approximately 250 children of parents employed in the downtown Los Angeles garment and produce districts. Other programs in the city assist families living with HIV/AIDS, men and women working to overcome addictions, disabled veterans, evacuees from disasters, senior citizens trying to live on a fixed income, and children who need a safe place to go after school. ...READ MORE>>>>>><<<<<<

Christmas in July Concert Benefits People on Skid Row

A Christmas in July Concert featuring Israel and Adrienne Houghton was presented by PS Media Talent owner Francis Perdue with major sponsor The Belasco Theater at its venue in Los Angeles on July 10.Organized by The Salvation Army Southern California Division with Friends of The Salvation Army Entertainment Industry Committee, the event benefited The Salvation Army and Besos Care Packages coordinated outreach to homeless individuals living on Skid Row. Inspired by Isaiah 58:10, the Houghtons created Besos Care Packages, which offers basic necessities plus handwritten notes of encouragement to people living on the streets of downtown Los Angeles.Last Comic Standing finalist Ron McGehee served as host with Major Osei Stewart, General Secretary for the Southern California Division.“The event was a great success,” Stewart said. “What was presented that evening touched the hearts of so many—we shared Salvation Army videos and stories in an intimate setting for blessed individuals who were able to experience Israel Houghton and his wife Adrienne Bailon-Houghton as they performed selected Christmas songs and some of Israel Houghton’s popular praise and worship songs. It was heartwarming and a worshipful evening concert.”The concert offered an up-close listen to a Christmas album currently in the making.In addition, it included a performance from Laci Kay and a message from United Nations youth representative Meredith O’Connor. Performing from The Salvation Army were David Longoria, Lt. Alexander Williams (aka Shalem) and Naia Tillery.Before the concert, over 300 athletes and celebrities attended the PS Media Talent Fuse Event ESPY pre-party, a charity and networking event benefiting The Salvation Army.

“We are still counting proceeds from the evening, but for an event where we did not have to invest a lot of up-front funds, we were able to do some fundraising and friend-raising, which I believe will be invaluable in the long run,” Stewart said.This article originally was published at New Frontier Chronicle.Photos: Jude St-Aimé

Salvation Army's National Donut Day: Joey Chestnut Wins 1st-Ever World Donut-Eating Championship

UPDATE: Joey Chestnut, best known for being a multi-year winner of Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contests (currently reigning champ), won the first-ever Salvation Army National Donut Day World Donut-Eating Championship by downing 55 coffee and water dunked donuts in 8 minutes. The event took place at Santa Monica Place Mall on Friday before a slew of media and a lunchtime mall crowd.READ BELOW for history of National Donut Day and The Salvation Army's one of many services to the U.S. and world.SANTA MONICA – Number-one-ranked competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut, a San Jose native, will make his way to Santa Monica to compete in the first-ever Salvation Army National Donut Day World Donut-Eating Championship, an event focused on not just entertainment but giving back – as part of a fundraising challenge for much-needed veteran services in greater Los Angeles.

NEWS RELEASE

Top Competitive Eaters Converge in Santa Monica to Win $2,000 in Prize Money

Major League Eating is proud to team up with The Salvation Army for the first-ever National Donut Day World Donut-Eating Championship, slated for June 2, 2017 at Santa Monica Place, located at 395 Santa Monica Pl. Santa Monica, 90401. Competitors will be in place and ready to go at 12 noon. Then they’ll have eight minutes to consume as many glazed donuts as they can. Will there be a new world record in the donut discipline? Let’s see how the donut crumbles!“Major League Eating is honored to celebrate the Salvation Army’s significant role in bringing the donut from the Western Front of World War I to every town in America,” says event MLE emcee Sam Barclay. “And we will celebrate the only way we know how—by eating a lot of donuts, very, very quickly."

National Donut Day History

This event is part of The Salvation Army’s annual tradition, National Donut Day, which began in 1938 as a fundraiser and a way to honor the memory of The Salvation Army’s volunteer “Donut Lassies,” who served some of the comforts of home (donuts and coffee) to soldiers during World War I. At the time, these volunteers were the only female non-military personnel stationed on the front lines – and they prepared the donuts using hot oil, a stove, and the steel helmets made by the U.S. military.Today, the Salvation Army’s tradition of caring for our men and women in uniform continues full-stride. In Southern California alone, The Salvation Army operates numerous homeless shelters to help veterans get back on their feet, including Bell Shelter—one of the largest homeless shelters in greater Los Angeles. Major League Eating is honored to join The Salvation Army to help bring attention to their considerable work.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1880 in the United States. Today, more than 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in 7,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmy-socal.org.

About Major League Eating

Major League Eating (MLE), the World governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community, which numbers more than 8,000 veteran and rookie athletes, travels the World in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.majorleagueeating.com.Press ContactsMajor League Eating: Tess O’Brien, 212-352-8651The Salvation Army, Southern California: Robert Brennan, 818-648-9098Alexis Hauk, 770-361-5826

Salvation Army Breaks Ground on 64-Unit Bell Oasis Apartments For Vets, Homeless

BELL — Construction of 64 affordable studio apartments for the homeless began in earnest on Monday as the Salvation Army hosted the official groundbreaking ceremony adjacent to the organization's existing Bell Shelter.The permanent supportive dwellings, named the Bell Oasis Apartments, are planned for U.S. veterans, including those facing chronic mental illness or disability and chronic homelessness. The complex is scheduled to open in Spring 2018.

Salvation Army So Cal: Not Just Bell Ringers and Thrift Shops [VIDEO]

“A project like this doesn’t just happen in a vacuum,” said Major Osei Stewart, General Secretary for the Southern California Division, at the ceremony as reported by New Frontier Chronicle. “It happens because of many like-minded people in the community come together for a common cause and for the common good.”The New Frontier Chronicle, The source of news and networking for The Salvation Army, reports:

Over the past few years, Los Angeles has been working to increase low-cost rent throughout the city to address the growing homelessness population. The city declared homelessness to be a state of emergency, with an estimated county homeless population of 47,000 people.The 68,000-square-foot Bell Oasis complex will allow the Bell Shelter campus to offer facilities for people in all stages of housing transition such as crisis housing, transitional housing and, once completed, permanent supportive housing. The apartments will also have an on-site health clinic, employment services, an exercise room, gym, and community room. Residents of the apartments will be allowed to stay as long as they can pay rent. Residents will also have access to on-site case management and supportive services through referrals and partnerships with other organizations.

“The only reason we knew this project was going to happen was because there was the support of the community,” Salvation Army Lt. Col. Kyle Smith said. “None of us just woke up one day and had a whole lot of money. It didn’t fall from the sky. The Salvation Army is representative of the support of the community in which we are in."Smith added, “I’m excited about this and the lives that are going to be changed.”At the ceremony, Territorial Commander Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder challenged the idea that the 64 units will not make a sizeable difference in the fight against the rampant homelessness in Los Angeles County.“The victories for which we fight in The Salvation Army happen one at a time,” said Hodder, as reported by the Chronicle. “Whenever a person comes off the street at night, it’s a victory. Whenever a hungry person receives a hot meal, it’s a victory…whenever one person has a roof over their head and can live with dignity and with hope, and a future, it’s a very big victory indeed.”

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church, according to its mission statement. “Its message is 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.”