Charity compelled by religious calling

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Sunday, June 19, 2016 | 2 a.m.

What does your organization do? The Salvation Army’s mission is to meet human needs. It can be something as simple as providing a food box to a family, or a night of shelter to a homeless adult. But that is only the beginning. Our services in Southern Nevada include job training, outreach and rapid rehousing for veterans and their families, transitional housing, community meals, after-school youth programs, rent and utility assistance (as funds are available), drug and alcohol recovery programs, low-income senior apartments, chaplaincy and Christian worship, and services for victims of human trafficking. Our goal is always to meet someone at their point of crisis, then walk with them until they can find their footing again, and return to full independence.

When and why was your organization established? The Salvation Army was born in 1865, in London, when a young Methodist minister, William Booth, sensed God leading him to get outside the four walls of the church and encounter people on the street. He wanted to tell them the Christian message of God’s love, but found that people who were hungry or tired had a hard time listening to his message until those physical needs were met. The Salvation Army quickly became the church ‘with its sleeves rolled up.’ The Salvation Army has served the communities of Southern Nevada for 70 years, and that humanitarian service remains the most recognizable part of what we do.

What services do you offer that you think the community knows about? Ringing bells at Christmas time, our thrift stores and feeding families are the things that usually come to mind first.

What services do you offer that you think the community doesn’t know about? Our drug and alcohol recovery programs, our low-income senior housing units, and especially our services to victims of human trafficking. I think most people don’t realize that most of the trafficking victims we work with are 12 to 17 years old. These are kids, and the Salvation Army provides a safe shelter, legal assistance, emotional and medical care and the ability to reconnect with their families.

What led you to this career? I grew up around the Salvation Army. My parents were officers, pastors, and so it was my place of activity, church fellowship and service to the community from the time I was born. But it wasn’t until I was in college that I sensed the leading of God to get into full-time ministry in the Salvation Army. Hard to believe that it’s been 30 years already.

What has been your most exciting professional project? Some years ago, I had the opportunity to assist with the launching of the Salvation Army in Poland. I was part of an international team — based first in London, then in Paris — that had the mandate to start the work and get it officially recognized. That was a first for me, made even more interesting by the fact that I didn’t know any Polish. But we got it done, and the Salvation Army is alive and well there today.

What can people do to get involved in the cause you serve? Volunteers are the life-blood of the Salvation Army. We are always looking for helping hands to serve our daily community meal, pack food boxes for families, teach life and computer skills to adults or assist with painting and nonroutine maintenance needs on multiple campuses. We are always in need of hygiene kits for homeless men and women, as well as feminine hygiene products for victims of human trafficking and diapers for families with babies. We love getting new people connected to opportunities that will be the perfect fit.

Whom do you admire and why? Winston Churchill. He faced incredible challenges as a leader, but kept a clear head and sharp focus, and had a resolve that was unshakable.

How do you motivate people to get involved? Inform and invite. In my experience, people will follow their passions. ... And in the nonprofit world, people like to get on board with organizations making a real, tangible difference. The Salvation Army touches the lives of nearly a thousand men, women and children every day in Southern Nevada. I’d call that making a difference.

If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be? I would love to have a large, robust, world-class art museum here. It’s the kind of place where I draw deep inspiration. And the air-conditioning tends to be pretty good for those hot days.