Baltimore renaissance
Baltimore renaissance
The Salvation Army in Baltimore is building new connections and a wider outreach through new community partnerships in the city’ s neighborhoods...
Pages 4 & 5
Salvation Army honors Rathgeber’ s support in Austin
Dick Rathgeber, a longtime strong supporter of The Salvation Army, was honored by the Austin, Texas, command, for his distinguished service...
Page 3
Martin County Corps adds 7 to the roll
Vacation Bible school has been integral to the growth taking place in the Martin County Corps in Stuart, Florida...
Page 6
DOING THE MOST GOOD thesouthernspirit
www. uss. salvationarmy. org
Volume 33, No. 7 news inbrief
SALVATION ARMY TEAMS WORKING IN ECUADOR
Salvation Army teams are at work along Ecuador’ s northwest coast, where an earthquake April 16 killed at least 650 people. Red Shield emergency response teams are providing food, water and other essentials to people who were forced from their homes.
“ When we arrived we saw the devastation caused by the earthquake – buildings in rubble, people lining up to buy a little bit of water, commercial premises closed,” said Captain Franklin Acosta, Ecuador divisional program secretary. He and his team spoke to the local government’ s emergency response coordinator and explained what The Salvation Army could offer. Later, they prepared sandwiches which were distributed, with milk, to people sleeping on the streets.
“ Looking around, it is really disheartening to see people sleeping in parks and under bridges, waiting for someone to help them,” Captain Acosta said.“ In total, we gave out more than 100 rations of milk and bread.”
By Laura Poff
SOUTHERN SPIRIT STAFF ight years ago, students from nearby Vanderbilt University approached Sergeants Steve and Ernie Simms, officers at Nashville’ s Berry Street Corps, and asked if they could plant a community garden on an empty plot of land adjacent to the corps building. The students were required to build community service time into their program, and it was their hope that the garden would become an important part of the struggling neighborhood. Over time, it has become both a gathering place and a source of food for many in the neighborhood who struggle to put healthy food on the table.
For six years, the students raised funds, organized volunteers and maintained the garden until two years ago when they could no longer commit the necessary time to the project and
O
A publication of The Salvation Army Southern Territory
Please see ARMY, page 7
April 29, 2016
Nashville garden yields connections with neighbors
E
A challenge to change
Salvation Army advisory organization members confront a changing world at national conference in Phoenix
By Lt. Colonel Allen Satterlee ver 2,500 advisory organization members, Salvation Army officers and employees gathered in Phoenix, Arizona, for the largest National Advisory Organizations Conference to date.
Headlining the event, themed“ Expect Change,” was a slate of stellar guests including The Salvation Army’ s international leaders, General André and Commissioner Silvia Cox, NFL great Emmitt J. Smith, Dr. Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Mr. Joel K. Manby, CEO of Sea World Parks and Entertainment and Charlotte Jones-Anderson of the NFL Dallas Cowboys. Giving energetic support were Bill Burke, chairman of the National Advisory Board, and senior vicepresident of marketing for Nationwide Insurance, Commissioners David and Barbara Jeffrey, USA national leaders, and Commissioners James and Carolyn Knaggs, Western Territory leaders.
Delegates were given expert instruction and inspiration not only through the plenary sessions but a host of workshops
• Salvationists serving helpfully
members of the corps stepped up to organize it in their place.
Using tools, mulch and soil donated by Home Depot and volunteers from the corps and community, Berry Street has maintained the project all this time.
“ It’ s just another avenue of showing love to the community,” Steve Simms said.“ Our mission is to help connect people and help people minister to one another. This is a way that people can have some hands on and show love to the community, which we hope reflects God’ s love.”
The garden consists of nine aboveground beds growing familiar produce like tomatoes, with pear, apple and other fruit trees surrounding it. Anyone is welcome to come by and pick fruits
Please see COMMUNITY, page 6
Major Frank Duracher
Former NFL standout Emmitt Smith receives the Evangeline Booth Award from General
André Cox as Commissioner David Jeffrey looks on. that covered a vast array of Salvation Army programming, board development issues, use of social media, public relations and fund-raising strategies. It was also a time to recognize outstanding individuals whose efforts have benefited The Salvation Army and their local communities. Receiving the coveted Evangeline Booth Award were Emmitt Smith, Stan Richards, founder of the Richards Group, television host and actress Kathie Lee Gifford, past
The garden at the Berry Street Corps has become more than a food source for the people living in the surrounding neighborhood.