Just before Christmas this year, the Salvation Army received a generous donation from students and staff at Sunningdale School that deserves special recognition.
The donation included a dozen boxes filled with non-perishable food items and warm winter clothing. It was received on or around Dec. 17 and will keep the Salvation Army’s onsite pantry stocked for the next three to four months, according to corps officer Major Byron Kean.
“They (staff and students at Sunningdale) dropped it off and I think it was 12 boxes of groceries,” Major Kean said. “It was a significant amount. We run a small food pantry here — in addition to the other things that we do — and this will enable us to keep that stocked… over the winter months.”
The donation came as a result of Sunningdale School’s 10 Days of Giving program.
“The program brings in dry (non-perishable) goods that we can give out to clients over the next few months of winter in particular, (which is important because many of them are) finding it hard to make ends meet,” he explained.
Major Kean said the program also teaches a valuable lesson during the Christmas season.
“It just goes to show that giving starts young, and when you teach your children and students to give, that carries over into later on in life. They (might later) say, ‘I saw the impact that this had when I was a child, because I gave something and somebody was helped,’” he added.
Major Kean emphasized that not everyone is as fortunate as others and highlighted the importance of cultivating a strong sense of community.
“Giving back that little bit helps people make ends meet, (and) it also gives us a sense of community (that) supports one another when we’re at our most vulnerable and in our (moment of) greatest need.”
Although its holiday fundraising campaigns have now concluded, Kean said the Salvation Army continues to seek out and welcome new volunteers. Anyone interested in lending a helping hand can contact the organization to inquire about current and upcoming volunteer opportunities.
“Overall, I just want to stress how thankful we are for the support that the Salvation Army receives from the community,” he said in his concluding remarks. “We’re going to give back as much as we can get.”
The Moose Jaw Salvation Army has three locations: the Thrift Store, located at 175 First Avenue Northeast, the Donation and Sorting Centre, located at 670 High Street West, and the Salvation Army Church at 2 Wintergreen Drive.
To contact the Salvation Army, call 306-692-5899 or visit SalvationArmyMooseJaw.ca. You can follow the organization on Facebook at ‘The Salvation Army in Moose Jaw.’
Aaron Walker
Reporter
Moose Jaw Express
