The holiday season has come and with it the spirit of giving . For those at Gilroy ’ s Salvation Army , it ’ s another opportunity to bring good to people ’ s lives and support the community .
The Salvation Army is no stranger to the act of giving . Year-round they provide valuable assistance to those in need . Monday through Friday they offer showers to the homeless community in Gilroy . For those who can ’ t quite pay their utilities , they have emergency utility assistance through PG & E . They also offer opportunities for kids , such as summer camp , where they provide food and fun activities . Just this year , they prepared 160 kids for school by giving them backpacks complete with school supplies , new shoes , and a $ 50 gift card to Old Navy .
Where The Salvation Army makes its biggest impact is with food . With the scarcity of jobs and the high cost of living , many people need help feeding their families . The Salvation Army views this need as their top priority and they ’ ve made it their mission to help by offering food assistance programs . With help from Martha ’ s Kitchen in San Jose , they are able to provide healthy , hot lunches to people of all ages . Each week , Tuesday through Friday , they serve about 35 to 45 people , and as the holidays draw nearer they expect to serve even more . Every Thursday , the Salvation Army , partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank , distributes groceries to 200 to 250 people . Qualifying residents of Gilroy , San Martin , and Morgan Hill can also receive additional assistance from the Salvation Army ’ s Food Pantry , which provides a monthly box of groceries . No questions are asked and all that ’ s required is an I . D . with proof of residence and the family size . This past year , June 2013 – June 2014 , they have given out 1.2 million pounds of food to the local community , feeding 1,600 households . And that ’ s not including their hot lunch program !
There are always more ways to give , however , and with Christmas just around the corner , the Salvation Army wants to bring joy to families with more than just food . On November 14th , they hosted their 3rd annual Kettlebell Kick-Off fundraiser . All of the proceeds go towards buying toys for low income families so that every child has a present to open on Christmas . The kettles themselves also help aid those in need by providing jobs for unemployed people so that they can buy presents for their families . All of the kettle donations stay within the Gilroy community and help keep the Salvation Army ’ s programs running . This year , the kettles can be found at Nob Hill and Safeway in Gilroy , and there are also spots at the Nob Hill , Safeway ,
Hobby Lobby , and Wal-Mart in Morgan Hill .
Another way the Salvation Army makes the holidays special is through their Adopt- A-Family program . Families in need are paired with individual or group sponsors who want to help make a difference in their community . The sponsors are given a gift guide that may include toys , clothing , household items , and information on utilities . They are asked to provide two or more new gifts for each family member and to provide food for the family for four to seven days . It is a rewarding experience for the adoptees and sponsors alike . Many sponsors continue to participate in the program year after year , such as Christine Flautt , who was honored at this year ’ s Kettlebell Kick-off . She has been a part of the Adopt-A-Family program for 14 years and has helped bring the magic of the holidays to 70 families .
Ensuring that kids and families enjoy the holidays is especially important for Captain Demetrio Villarreal , who runs Gilroy ’ s Salvation Army . “ When I was young , I lived in Mexico , and we couldn ’ t afford to have toys on Christmas ,” he explains , “ The local toy store would dump all of its broken toys out back on Christmas day . Me and my cousin would go there at 4 in the morning and we would piece the broken toys into something we could play with . That ’ s what we got on Christmas .” Captain Villarreal wants to make sure no child has to share that experience . “ I want every child to have a real toy on Christmas ,” he says emphatically .
Heartfelt missions such as these are the backbone of the Salvation Army . For an organization that already does so much , it ’ s amazing to see how they continue to find ways to touch the lives of countless individuals and families . Their efforts are definitely felt here in Gilroy .
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