No matter what time of year it is, here at DiMillo’s On the Water, we believe in the importance of charity and goodwill. That’s why this year, we’re supporting The Salvation Army for Giving Tuesday.
Keep reading to learn more about The Salvation Army and why we chose it as our selected charity for this year’s Giving Tuesday!
The History of the Salvation Army
The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 by William Booth, who abandoned the traditional concept of preaching from a church pulpit. Instead, he preferred to walk the streets of London and preach to the poor, the destitute, and the homeless.
The message that Booth preached was one of helping suffering souls who could not attend a traditional church, or who would not be welcome. Between 1881 and 1885, converts, then and now known as Salvationists, converted 250,000 Christians.
This was just the beginning. The Salvation Army can be found in every corner of the world and serves in over 100 countries.
What The Salvation Army Does Now
The Salvation Army of today exists to meet human need wherever, whenever, and however, it can. This takes on many forms, including assisting the unemployed, fighting human trafficking, serving veterans, teaching kids, stopping domestic abuse, and so much more!
Of course, the way that most people are familiar with The Salvation Army is how they help out during the holiday season. You may be surprised to learn that it goes beyond the bell ringers with their signature Red Kettles in front of local businesses.
Did you know that about 33% of total yearly donations to the Salvation Army come through the Red Kettle campaign? What makes this even more remarkable is the fact that it only runs from late November until December 24th.
In fact, in recent years, the bell-ringer program has raised up to $144 million over the holiday season! Imagine what that can do for the local communities that need these funds. Now imagine if even more people gave to the Salvation Army and donated this holiday season.
What You Can Do To Help The Salvation Army This Holiday Season
The simple answer, of course, is you can donate to The Salvation Army. Every little bit helps! Just think, if everyone who reads this blog post donated something how much of an impact we could all make! It is possible.
There are people in every community who need help, and this is why organizations like The Salvation Army are so important. You may be wondering; can I only donate if I see a red kettle or a bell ringer outside? Of course not!
You can always donate to the Salvation Army by donating online. You may also be wondering where the money that you donate goes. The answer could be in many places.
One place could be their Angel Tree Program, where they put new clothes and toys under the tree for 1 million children who would normally have to go without Christmas gifts.
Or you could be helping out with Grocery and Food Assistance, which makes sure that low-income families, seniors that are struggling, and those who may not have a home for the holidays have something to eat.
You could also contribute to Bill-Pay Assistance, which helps struggling households pay their utility bills. The holiday season can be extra stressful if you’re a family trying to keep up with Christmas expenses and keep the heat on. It allows low-income families to keep dignity and stability without getting behind on their bills.
The Salvation Army also spread Christmas cheer with nursing home events, hospital visits, bell ringing, meal delivery, gifting programs, and clothing and Christmas toy donations. This provides hope and relief for those that may be homeless, lonely, low-income, or without a family this holiday season.
DiMillo’s is proud to support the work that The Salvation Army is doing this holiday season and all year long. Choosing them as our Giving Tuesday recipient is our way of saying thanks to each of our customers for always supporting us.
