(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – Anyone interested in amateur radio is invited to learn how they can help one of the world’s oldest disaster relief organizations in its communications efforts.
The Inland Empire’s Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network, also known as SATERN, will hold its 13th Annual Introduction and Seminar on Saturday, Jan. 31. This free event takes place from 8:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps, 746 W. Fifth St., San Bernardino. It’s open to the public and includes a complimentary lunch.
SATERN relies on amateur or shortwave radio, a technology that’s been around since before World War II, but is growing more sophisticated. These radios allow two-way communication across areas of about 200 miles, so SATERN uses them to communicate among its own members who are participating in a Salvation Army disaster relief effort, and with the emergency workers they’re helping.
The Salvation Army has helped in just about every disaster that has broken out over the last century, including fires, earthquakes, floods and the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Inland Empire Corps’ most recent disaster relief efforts were during the Triangle Complex fire near Corona last year.
“Amateur radio is a great hobby and participating in SATERN is a great way to turn that hobby into something that helps our Inland Empire tremendously,” said Tony Stephen, Inland Empire SATERN Committee member. “If more people join us, we will be able to deliver communications more effectively during the next fire or other disaster that hits our area.”
After a sign-in time, the seminar gets underway at 9 a.m. The first speakers are Trace Wilette, a member of the Inland Empire’s SATERN committee and Capt. Stephen Ball, executive officer of the San Bernardino Corps. They will provide an introduction to SATERN.
From 9:30 to 9:45 a.m., members of SATERN and American Radio Relay League will introduce themselves. American Radio Relay League is an amateur radio organization separate from The Salvation Army, but whose members also are involved in disaster relief.
The next speaker is Jay Jones, an amateur radio operator and University of La Verne biology and biochemistry professor. Jones will speak on “A View of the Future,” providing a look at what he believes the future of amateur radio’s role in disaster relief will be.
From 11 a.m. to 12 noon, Suzi Woodruff Lacey, director of public relations for The Salvation Army’s Western Division, will speak on “SATERN’s Role in Critical Communications. Lacey will explain how SATERN provides vital communication services on several fronts during disasters, such as between its own members, to the rescue workers they’re assisting and to the public. Rescue workers frequently rely on SATERN to help those displaced in a disaster communicate their whereabouts to out-of-town family, and to provide media with information that will help keep everyone safe and well-informed.
After lunch, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., Marty Woll, vice director of American Radio Relay League, addresses one of the latest technologies in amateur radio, Near Vertical Incident Skywire. Amateur radio requires use of an exceptionally large antenna, and NVIS technology allows operators to erect the antenna at an angle that will maximize their opportunity to successfully send and receive radio transmissions at the upper end of their range, perhaps as far as 300 miles.
So it will have an accurate lunch count, SATERN asks those attending to RSVP, either by email to ke6jzf@verizon.net or by calling Stephen at (909) 628-2843. He’s also accessible through amateur radio by contacting KE6JZF.
For more information go to the website www.satern.net or ,contact Stephen.
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church, and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
Jessica Davis, 8, of San Bernardino, looks at some of the gingerbread houses that had just been donated to the Salvation Army. Jessica had come to the Salvation Army with her grandmother on the day the Job Corps visited to volunteer, as it was busy then creating holiday gift packages for those less fortunate.
See Gingerbread house donated by Inland Empire Job Corps.
Inland Empire Job Corps students, including Janna Maples, Theo Rodriguez and Jorge Galdanez, foreground baked gingerbread houses before Christmas and donated seven of them to the Salvation Army Corps of San Bernardino.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The hot daily meal and warm beds at The Salvation Army’s Hospitality House always attract up to 96 homeless people, but for a short time before Christmas things were even sweeter.
On Thursday, Dec. 18, the guests had seven gingerbread houses to enjoy, courtesy of the culinary arts students at the Inland Empire Job Corps. These houses made festive decorations throughout most of that day, but were on the menu for desert that night.
“The kids are going to love these,” Hospitality House Director Roosevelt Carroll said after the Job Corps delivered their sweet creations. “It’s a blessing for them to even see a gingerbread house. Then they will eat them piece by piece.”
Even if they knew their creations would be quickly eaten, baking and decorating these and 13 other gingerbread houses were a labor of love for the young people enrolled in the Job Corps Home Inspector program. After all, if it weren’t for the federally funded training program that also gives these 16- to 24-year-olds a place to live, many of them would be struggling too.
“What we did makes us feel good,” said Theo Rodriguez, one of the student bakers.
“We’re giving to people who need help more than we do,” said another baker, Jorge Galdanez.
Job Corps also gave gingerbread houses to Maple House, a residential program in
San Bernardino for people recovering from substance abuse and their children.
“This definitely was a lot of work,” said Monica Zapata. “But it was a wonderful experience.”
The students spent anywhere from two days to a week cutting templates for the walls of the gingerbread houses, baking, and decorating them. They worked under the guidance of Job Corps Instructor Michael Gurd, who is like a father to many of them.
“Chef Michael is my father,” said Aric Ianni. “I grew up without a dad, so he has been that role model for me.”
Job Corps’ culinary students, including the 10 who came to The Salvation Army, plan on careers as chefs in restaurants, on cruise ships and as caterers. They’re learning the basics of commercial food preparation in the San Bernardino program and can obtain advanced training at another Job Corps program in San Francisco if they choose.
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires. See Windows and doors Hamilton
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church, and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
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Children were among the 96 volunteers who helped at The Salvation Army Corps Thanksgiving Day feast. One of the duties given them was to serve guests slices of pumpkin pie for desert. Photo by Ricardo Tomboc
Capt. Stephen Ball, commander of The Salvation Army Corps of San Bernardino, with children who took part in the Corps Thanksgiving Day feast. Photo by Ricardo Tomboc
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) More than 200 hungry people braved a Thanksgiving Day storm to enjoy a holiday dinner at The Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps’ Hospitality House.
And almost 100 volunteers were there to serve them.
Capt. Stephen Ball, commander of the San Bernardino Corps, reported that 96 volunteers served 204 meals to hungry guests on Thanksgiving Day. That’s just a few more people than the regular Salvation Army crew serves every day.
“Turnout was light for Thanksgiving,” said Capt. Ball. “In the morning, when it was raining, there weren’t as many people around as there are on a normal day. We eventually served 204 dinners, but we had enough to serve at least 400. I think people must have found other places to go for Thanksgiving, where they could be out of the rain.”
The food didn’t go to waste, though, according to Capt. Ball. Since The Salvation Army serves dinners six days a week, the Thanksgiving leftovers made dinner for the 125 or so people who came to the Corps on Friday and the approximately same number who came on Saturday.
By Monday, the Thanksgiving feast had disappeared, and The Salvation Army was back to feeding people from its normal every day budget. That budget, which must last an entire year, gets its biggest boost in December from The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle/bellringer campaign.
From now through Dec. 24, donors can also give through the Red Kettle Drive, a holiday tradition the Army has relied on for more than 100 years. Look for red kettles accompanied by bellringers at locations throughout the Inland Empire and everywhere else. Everything a Salvation Army bellringer collects stays within the community.
Online giving, which can be directed specifically to the San Bernardino Corps, is possible at any time by going to www.salvationarmy.usa.org.
And, with holiday shopping on most folks’ minds already, The Salvation Army hopes people will shop for their poorest neighbors, too. Gifts of food and toys are needed for about 750 families relying on the San Bernardino Corps to have any kind of Christmas celebration at all this year.
Donations of time are also highly needed. For one, The Salvation Army wants to beef up the volunteer bellringer force. It also needs volunteers to help with assembling, wrapping and distribution of gift baskets and toys for the needy.
Those interested in donating time or presents should call the San Bernardino Corps at (909) 888-1336. Toys can also be donated through the Sharing Tree programs at the Inland Center Mall, the Ontario Mills Mall, the Montclair Plaza and the Redlands Wal-Mart.
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church, and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps Commander Capt. Stephen Ball; Arlene Lewis, wife of U. S. Congressman Jerry Lewis; Salvation Army Advisory Board Member Annorr Gowdy and Advisory Board Chairman Tom Brickley review plans for adding transitional living apartments to the soon-to-be-remodeled shelter at 925 10th Street, where The Salvation Army recently hosted a fund-raising luncheon. In early 2009 it will become the Hospitality House shelter for 125 women and children. Photo by Carl Dameron
Stater Brothers executives Steve Landry, district manager; Judy Lewis, chief financial officer and Sarah Cain, executive director of Stater Brothers Charities, present a $6,918.31 check to Nancy Tortorelli, financial officer for The Salvation Army and Capt. Stephen Ball, commander of the San Bernardino Corps of The Salvation Army. Photo by Carl Dameron
San Bernardino Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Judy Penman and San Bernardino City Attorney James Penman listen to a speaker at a lunch held to honor large donors to The Salvation Army Corps of San Bernardino. Photo by Carl Dameron
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The Salvation Army Corps of San Bernardino raised about $40,000 on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when it hosted a fund-raising luncheon at its future homeless shelter.
Most of this came in the form of donations of $1,000 or more from wealthy San Bernardino-area residents who share the Salvation Army’s vision for helping the community. Among these donors were Congressman Jerry and Arlene Lewis of Redlands.
For 30 years, Jerry Lewis has served as a representative in the United States Congress, and prior to then as a California Assembly member. But even before he entered politics, Congressman Lewis developed an appreciation for the services The Salvation Army provides.
“As a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, he had the opportunity to travel to India,” Arlene Lewis said. “He remembers seeing an ophthalmologist with The Salvation Army there and a long line of people standing in front of him waiting to have their cataracts removed so they could see. “
The building at 925 10th Street where the San Bernardino Corps plans to move its Hospitality House shelter in 2009 now houses the Adult Rehabilitation Center, a Salvation Army program serving 77 men who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. Arlene Lewis publicly acknowledges that branch of The Salvation Army became personally significant to her family a few years ago, when her son lived there for a short time while battling addiction.
“I love The Salvation Army and what they do here,” she said. “Especially because of our personal experience, Jerry and I want to help them in any way we can. We are excited about the plans for growth the Salvation Army has.”
Soon, Adult Rehabilitation Center will move to a new facility on Doolittle Street, with room to treat 125 men. The San Bernardino Corps will then remodel the building on 10th Street to better serve 100 homeless women and children, and it will build eight to 12 apartments so that some of these guests can have a better opportunity to rebuild their lives after becoming homeless, through transitional housing.
A donation of $6,918.31 came from Stater Brothers’ Charities, a 501c3 non-profit foundation the grocery store chain formed in March of this year to better serve the communities where it does business.
“The Salvation Army serves on the front lines of those communities, so we decided to make a major donation,” said Foundation Executive Director Sarah Cain. “our website want to help in their relief efforts.”
The Salvation Army has a rich history in San Bernardino. It began serving here in 1887, just 12 years after William and Catherine Booth founded the international organization in London.
For the last four to five decades, some of that service has taken place at the 925 10th Street Building. The San Bernardino Corps also had a shelter on Kingman Street for many years, but the shelter is now temporarily operating in the Headquarters Building on Fifth Street.
The Headquarters building has also served the community for decades as a church, a place for the needy to receive donations of food, toys and clothing and a staging point for emergency relief operations.
“As a shelter, the Headquarters building is a temporary solution,” said Capt. Stephen Ball. “When we remodel this shelter, we will be able to serve more women and children.”
To put a human face on the good The Salvation Army has done in recent years, four recipients of its hospitality told the lunch guests about their experiences with the Adult Rehabilitation Center and the Hospitality House.
Trent, a former guest of the Adult Rehabilitation Center, was able to break his addiction to methamphetamine and other drugs through the treatment program offered there. Through a Salvation Army Corps program called Pathway to Prosperity, he was then able to earn a certificate at San Bernardino Valley College to become a drug and alcohol counselor.
“I’ve been through a lot but I would do it all over again if I knew I’d end up where I am today,” Trent said. “I have nothing but pats on the back for The Salvation Army.”
Robin stayed at the Hospitality House with her husband and four children after both adults in the family lost their jobs and subsequently, their car and their home. The Salvation Army was able to immediately offer not just shelter, but a job for Robin’s husband as a company truck driver. That allowed the family to save up for an apartment and a new car.
Since then, her husband has obtained a better-paying job as a driver for the City of San Bernardino and she has found work with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. She still spends a lot of time at Hospitality House, because her job entails tutoring the children who li
ve there now.
“I just want to thank The Salvation Army for helping us to get back on our feet,” she said.
Jose, who is not yet 18 years old, has endured homelessness several times, along with his mother and his two younger brothers. Each time, he said, the staff of the Hospitality House has welcomed them and treated them with respect. As he nears adulthood, he helps with The Salvation Army’s youth ministry and is learning valuable leadership skills for a brighter future.
“If it wasn’t for The Salvation Army, I don’t know what would happen to me, my mom and my brothers,” he said.
Amanda, age 17, stayed briefly at The Hospitality House this year after her family threw her out on the streets. She continues to take part in its youth ministry. She said she first came with a negative attitude, but now sees that people there truly want to help.
“Because of The Salvation Army, I had a place to stay,” she said through her tears. “They care about me and want the best for me.”
While the $40,000 raised through the luncheon held Wednesday is greatly appreciated, more is needed to help people like Trent, Robin, Jose and Amanda. The Salvation Army is therefore encouraging others to give what they can.
Online giving, which can be directed specifically to the San Bernardino Corps, is possible at any time by going to www.salvationarmy.usa.org.
From mid-November through Dec. 24, donors can also give through the Red Kettle Drive, a holiday tradition the Army has relied on for more than 100 years. Look for red kettles accompanied by bellringers at locations throughout the Inland Empire and everywhere else. Everything a Salvation Army bellringer collects stays within the community.
Donations of time are also highly needed. For one, The Salvation Army wants to beef up the volunteer bellringer force. It also needs volunteers for its upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.
And, with holiday shopping on most people’s minds already, The Salvation Army hopes people will shop for their poorest neighbors too. Gifts of food and toys are needed for about 750 families relying on the San Bernardino Corps to have any kind of Christmas celebration at all this year.
Those interested in donating time or presents should call the San Bernardino Corps at (909) 888-1336. After Thanksgiving, toys can also be donated through the Sharing Tree programs at the Inland Center Mall, the Ontario Mills Mall, the Montclair Plaza and the Redlands Wal-Mart.
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
The Salvation Army will collect boxes and boxes of non-perishable food and toys to give in gift baskets for the area’s needy.
(San Bernardino, CA) Every year families in need can turn to the Salvation Army to help to feed their families this Christmas and let their children have a little fun this holiday season. Last year the Salvation Army received thousands of food and toy baskets for the families in need, this year The Inland Empire Corps hope there will be an even bigger turn out.
From now until December your local Salvation Army Corp. is accepting donations for Christmas assistance. The turn out every year brings hundreds of families to the Salvation Army and providing up to 10,000 families in need with food and toy baskets.
“If we could get 200 families to donate food and toys, up to 1200 families will receive the holiday baskets.” Said Envoy Naomi Tamez of the Ontario Salvation Army Corp. Similar numbers of families can be helped through each of the nine corps in the Inland Empire. This year the Salvation Army urges Inland Empire residents and families to help other families have a holiday they will never forget.
To make a donation or sign up for assistance visit your local Salvation Army Corp. Here is a list of locations and dates:
San Bernardino: 746 W 5 St San Bernardino, CA Dates: Nov 5 – 7, 10 – 12 & 15 Phone: 909-888-1336
Victorville: 14585 La Paz Dr. Victorville, CA Dates: Oct 15 – Open Phone: 760-245-2545
Ontario: 1412 S Euclid Ave. Ontario, CA Dates: Now – Dec 19 Phone: 909-986-6748
Redlands: 838 Alta St Redlands, CA Dates: Nov 3 – Nov 28 Phone: 909-792-6868
Cathedral City: 30400 Landau Blvd, Cathedral City, CA Nov 3-5 Phone: 760-324-2275
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About the Salvations Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
Up to 900 people will enjoy Thanksgiving dinner at The Salvation Army Corps in San Bernardino. Volunteers serve Thanksgiving dinner at The Salvation Army Corps in San Bernardino. A man enjoys Thanksgiving Dinner at The Salvation Army Corps in San Bernardino.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) This holiday season your local Salvation Army Corps will hold their annual Thanksgiving dinner to help the needy families of the Inland Empire. The dinners start Nov. 26 or Nov. 27 depending on the Corps.
The San Bernardino Corps will serve dinner from 11 am to 2 pm on Nov. 27.
The annual event brings in hundreds of families and individuals who do not have the means to provide themselves a Thanksgiving dinner. People come from all parts of the Inland Empire for this festive event. “We’ll serve between 700 and 900 people,” says Salvation Army Captain Stephen Ball.
“This year we were fortunate enough to receive donations of 20 hams from The United Way, city and county officials and school districts” said Salvation Army Shelter Director Roosevelt Carroll. “Also the Inland Empire Job Corps will provide 100 pumpkin pies, a Thanksgiving staple.”
The Salvation Army pulls out all the stops by providing families with an array of side dishes such as mashed potatoes, green beans, corn and biscuits. It’s still searching for donors who could provide about 20 roasted turkeys.
Every year The Salvation Army receives hundreds of requests to become volunteers for the day by helping serve food to the families. An estimated 125 volunteers helped the San Bernardino Corps, from the preparation of food to serving the hundreds of people that walk into their doors. “This year we expect the same turnout in volunteers as last year,” says Carroll.
“Thanksgiving should be a special day for everyone not just for those who can afford it,” says Captain Stephen Ball.
To receive information about the dates and times for the dinners at other corps besides San Bernardino, or to volunteer, give them a call at 1800-SAL-ARMY or 1-800-725-2769.
About The Salvation Army About the Salvations Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
People benefiting from The Salvation Army’s Adopt-A-Family program in 2007 wait in line to receive presents at the San Bernardino Corps.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) The Salvation Army is now accepting applications to Adopt-A-Family this holiday season. This program provides a way to lift the spirits of needy families by giving them a Christmas they will never forget.
Each year hundreds of Inland Empire families come to the Salvation Army for help in hopes to be considered as a family “in need”. “We list them among our families to be ‘adopted,” says San Bernardino Salvation Army Captain Stephen Ball.
“The breadwinner may have lost a job; the family may have been forced out of their homes due to foreclosure, someone may have been seriously, and expensively ill; or perhaps the family has faced a debilitating death of one of the parents. No matter the problem that causes the disruption or the ceasing of Christmas plans, the Adopt-A-Family program is here to help,” said Ball.
The process starts with families who sign up at their nearest Salvation Army branch, asking to be included in the Adopt-A-Family program, and note their gift wishes or family needs. Other families, businesses or groups then choose to “adopt” a family. Once the other family or business receives a match they will provide the adopted family with gifts and necessary items making their holiday bright.
Groups and businesses who adopt will invest thousands or more in a family. Families accepted into the program in the past have received gifts from new clothes for the whole family to much needed home repairs.
The success of the program comes from the many generous families and businesses who pitch in to assist, not overwhelm each needy family. “It’s a matter of “whatever it takes” to aid their selected family to get past the stress of the holidays”.
“The more families we can have adopted, the more we will be able to help,” said Envoy Naomi Tamez, co-commander of the Ontario Corps of The Salvation Army with her husband Abel. “If the community could adopt 100 families, it would help tremendously.”
“Adopting’ a family does not mean to take on the responsibility or shouldering a burden,” Capt. Ball explains. “It’s truly sharing the Christmas spirit with others who may not be as fortunate as you. It’s helping families to enjoy the holidays just as most of the rest of us do.”
Willing to adopt a family? Know of a family in need? Now more than ever the Salvation Army is asking the public’s help to provide the needy families of the Inland Empire a holiday without stress.
To adopt a family in San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto, Grand Terrace or Highland, call (909) 888-1336. The San Bernardino office is setting up a volunteer schedule to which Capt. Ball and his staff are eager to assist local residents in adding their names
To adopt a family in Redlands and other East San Bernardino Valley communities call (909) 792-6868. Volunteer Services Coordinator Mike Delgado will provide an application and on approval by Capt. Jonathan Apaun, assign volunteers to bell-ringing duties.
To adopt a family in San Bernardino County’s High Desert, call (760) 245-5745 and ask for Margot Barhas.
To adopt a family in Ontario and other West San Bernardino Valley communities, call Envoy Abel Tamez at (909) 509-2503 or Envoy Naomi Tamez at (909) 509-2741.
To adopt a family in the Desert Hot Springs/Coachella Valley areas, contact the Cathedral City Corps at (760) 324-2275.
To adopt a family in Hemet, San Jacinto, Idyllwild and surrounding areas contact the Hemet Corps at (951) 925-7176.
To adopt a family in Moreno Valley, Perris and surrounding areas, call the Moreno Valley Corps at (951) 653-9131.
To adopt a family in Murrieta, Temecula, Canyon Lake, Menifee and surrounding areas, call the Murrieta Corps at (951) 677-1324.
To adopt a family in Riverside, Corona, Norco and surrounding areas, call the Riverside Corps at (951) 784-4490.
About the Salvations Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
Shaila, Shiane, Carl and Malaika Dameron rang a bell for the Salvation Army in 2007. The Damerons will again volunteer this year.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) –Shiny red kettles attended by men, women and children ringing silver bells are a familiar sight during the holiday season, but to most effectively serve its community The Salvation Army needs more volunteer bell ringers.
“We invite people to help the disadvantaged in our community by volunteering as bell ringers,” said Capt. Stephen Ball, commander of The Salvation Army of San Bernardino. “We’re asking individuals, families and groups to spend a day at one of our more than 25 locations in the San Bernardino area.”
In 2007, Salvation Army of San Bernardino board member, and Dameron Communications founder and creative director, Carl Dameron volunteered with his wife Malaika and their two daughters, Shaila and Shiane. The entire Salvation Army of San Bernardino board also volunteered their time to ring silver bells and ask the community for help.
“We receive great satisfaction knowing we had made a difference in our community,” Carl Dameron said. “We also enjoyed spending the time together as a family and teaching our children about the responsibility we have to care for those in our community who are less fortunate.”
The Salvation Army will begin ringing its bells this year Friday, Nov. 21, and continue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday until Christmas Eve.
Capt. Ball encourages families, groups of friends, community organizations, churches and Sunday School classes to sign up as “Bell Ringers for A Day.” The Salvation Army especially seeks groups large enough to work in shifts throughout an eight-hour day, but also welcomes individuals, families and small groups who could donate a few hours of their time.
“Groups will be especially effective if they bring guitars and/or other musical instruments and sing Christmas carols,” he said. “The Salvation Army has long appreciated the role music plays in putting people into the holiday spirit.”
Each Thanksgiving, Christmas and in some cases Easter, the Inland Empire Salvation Army Corps combine to serve more than 1,000 people holiday meals. But, these local corps serve almost as many meals on a daily basis to those who are homeless and hungry. Some Corps also maintain a food pantry for those who most need help with the cost of groceries.
Feeding the hungry is just one of the ways money donated to The Salvation Army helps. Salvation Army Corps also help with lodging for homeless or evicted families; clothing and furniture for burnout victims, evicted and the homeless; prescriptions, assistance with rent/mortgage, utilities and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in disasters such as fires
In San Bernardino, The Hospitality House provides thousands of homeless families temporary emergency shelter and support in rebuilding their lives.
In 2009, The Salvation Army of San Bernardino plans to expand its services to the homeless by relocating its shelter and renovating that building, and by adding transitional apartments where homeless families can live for up to 24 months while receiving the same support resources those at the shelter have.
Providing these additional services is a huge reason why The Salvation Army wants to maximize its holiday kettle donations, which bring in far more money than any other time of year.
“The Hospitality House needs help to survive,” Capt. Ball said. “Next year, we are going to need an additional $75,000 to keep the doors open, feed more people and make the expansion a reality.”
To volunteer as a bell ringer in San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto, Grand Terrace or Highland, call (909) 888-1336. The San Bernardino office is setting up a volunteer schedule to which Capt. Ball and his staff are eager to assist local residents in adding their names
To volunteer as a bell ringer in Redlands and other East San Bernardino Valley communities call (909) 792-6868. Volunteer Services Coordinator Mike Delgado will provide an application and, on approval by Capt. Jonathan Apaun, assign volunteers to bell-ringing duties.
To volunteer as a bell ringer in San Bernardino County’s High Desert, call (760) 245-5745 and ask for Margot Barhas.
To volunteer as a bell ringer in Ontario and other West San Bernardino Valley communities, call Envoy Abel Tamez at (909) 509-2503 or Envoy Naomi Tamez at (909) 509-2741.
To learn more about volunteering as a bell ringer in Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Norco and other West Riverside County communities call the Riverside Corps Office at (951) 784-4490.
To learn more about volunteering as a bell ringer in Hemet, Beaumont, San Jacinto, Perris, Murietta, Menifee, Temecula and other central and southern Riverside County communities, call the Hemet Corps Office at (951) 925-7176.
To learn more about volunteering as a bell ringer in Palm Desert, Palm Springs, Indio, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, Banning and other desert communities, call the Palm Desert Corps Office at (760) 340-4901.
In addition, one may donate to The Salvation Army online, through the website www.salvationarmyusa.org. Donors may specify to which branch of The Salvation Army the money should be sent.
How the Bell Ringer campaign began: Capt. Joseph McFee, serving with the San Francisco Salvation Army Corps back in 1891, wanted to serve Christmas dinner to the poor in his neighborhood. But he didn’t have money to do so.
Mc Fee remembered as a sailor in Liverpool, England, seeing people on the docks throw money into a large kettle called “Simpson’s Pot” to help the poor. He decided this might work in California, too.
He set up a kettle at the Oakland Ferry Landing, which operated a ferry that was, in those days, the only way across San Francisco Bay. He put a sign on the kettle saying “Keep the Pot Boiling,” and raised enough money to serve the Christmas dinner.
His idea spread quickly, and by 1897 Salvation Army Corps nationwide were collecting money in kettles to serve the needy in their communities. Among the Salvation Army Corps collecting money this way before the turn of the 20th Century was The Salvation Army of San Bernardino, which formed in 1887.
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army may be able to provide emergency services including food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church, and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
Architectural renderings and a site plan for apartments The Salvation Army of San Bernardino plans to build on 10th Street.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – Female veterans and their families who have struggled with homelessness will have a new place to live, thanks to a grant The Salvation Army received recently.
The $150,000 grant is on top of a $1 million zero-interest loan already received from the California Department of Housing &; Community Development in July. Together, they will enable The Salvation Army to build eight to ten apartments near 925 Tenth Street, and to remodel an existing shelter there.
A few of the apartments will be reserved for veterans and their families. Since the Salvation Army of San Bernardino shelter primarily serves women and children, the apartments will be for female veterans.
“Building these apartments has been a goal of the Salvation Army for a long time,” said Capt. Stephen Ball, commander of The Salvation Army of San Bernardino. “The zero-interest loan from the state has helped us realize that dream, and the grant from the Veterans Administration allows us to reach out to a few more women, who have sacrificed for their country and now need our help to get back to normal lives.”
The Salvation Army of San Bernardino offers shelter to women and their husbands and children, usually for up to three months. It plans to offer the apartments to women with families who are living in the shelter, but need to rely longer on the services its ministry provides before making independent living arrangements.
The remodeling to the shelter itself will benefit all who rely on this service.
The shelter is currently operated by Adult Rehabilitation Services, another branch of The Salvation Army, which works with homeless men. Adult Rehabilitation Services is building a larger shelter on Doolittle Street, and should be able to move there in October 2008.
Once Adult Rehabilitation Services moves into their new facility, The Salvation Army of San Bernardino plans to modernize the shelter and to convert some of the area into dormitory-style apartments for single women who stay longer.
“The San Bernardino City Unified School District counted 1,700 homeless children in the district,” said Kent Paxton, director of Operation Phoenix, and leader in the city’s effort to assist The Salvation Army through the approval process. “Those children belong to families, some of whom will benefit from these apartments.”
The California Department of Housing & Community Development loan is zero interest for 10 years, and then won’t have to be repaid if The Salvation Army completes construction of the shelter, said Adriana Mattox, a funding consultant with Hill & Associates, a firm that helped The Salvation Army obtain both sources of funding.
Since the grant is from the Veteran’s Administration, five of the apartments will be for homeless female veterans. Three single women will live in the remodeled dormitory-style apartments in the shelter, while two women and their children will live in the nearby apartments.
Adult Rehabilitation Center currently operates the Tenth Street shelter as a residence for men in an addiction recovery program. The Salvation Army of San Bernardino is temporarily operating a shelter at 746 W. Fifth Street, primarily serving homeless women and children, but also married couples.
Sheltering up to 96 homeless people every night is just one of the many ministries The Salvation Army of San Bernardino offers. Other ministries include serving dinners six nights a week to up to 200 people, providing spiritual counseling and training, operating youth mentoring and recreational programs, and working to improve the lives of homeless families in the community.
The Salvation Army San Bernardino Citadel Corps has helped residents of San Bernardino, Rialto, Grand Terrace, Highland, Bloomington and Colton since 1887.
The homeless shelter and meals program is located at 746 W. Fifth St. in San Bernardino. For more information call (909) 888-1336.
About the Salvations Army San Bernardino Corps The Salvation Army’s emergency services include food; lodging for homeless or displaced families; clothing and furniture; assistance with rent or mortgage and transportation when funds are available. The Salvation Army Team Radio Network assists rescue workers and evacuees in such disasters as fires.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian church and also offers evangelical programs for boys, girls and adults. One of the largest charitable and international service organizations in the world, The Salvation Army has been in existence since 1865 and in San Bernardino since 1887, supporting those in need without discrimination. Donations may always be made online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or by calling 1-(800)-SAL-ARMY.
Homeless Shelter Director Roosevelt Carroll and Capt. Stephen Ball, Commander of The Salvation Army of San Bernardino, with a $1 million check The Salvation Army received from California, to assist in building apartments for women and families transitioning out of homelessness.
(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) – The Salvation Army of San Bernardino will build eight new apartments for families transitioning out of homelessness, thanks to a one million dollar forgivable loan just approved by the state.
“This is amazing news for our community,” said Captain Steve Ball, San Bernardino corps officer. “We’ve been dreaming of this day so we can help more people move off San Bernardino streets and transition into brand new lives.”
The apartments will offer a stable, transitional home where eight families( as many as 36 individuals) can stay for up to two years, receive counseling, find jobs and save money for permanent housing.
The major of the city of San Bernardino agrees it is good news. Although the city hasn’t yet formally approved the plans, it is helping The Salvation Army get through the approval process.
“The Salvation Army’s plans for the homeless are very, very needed,” said Kent Paxton, director of Operation Phoenix, and leader in the city’s effort to assist The Salvation Army through the approval process. “A recent survey showed that San Bernardino has more homeless people than any city in the county,” Paxton added.
“The San Bernardino City Unified School District counted 1,700 homeless children in the district,” he said. “Those children belong to families, some of whom will benefit greatly from these apartments.”
The California Department of Housing & Community Development awarded The Salvation Army a $1 million loan on July 16. This loan won’t have to be repaid if The Salvation Army completes construction of the shelter and fulfills the program requirements over a 10-year compliance period, said Adriana Mattox, a funding consultant with Hill & Associates, a firm that helped The Salvation Army obtain funds.
Sheltering up to 96 homeless people every night is just one of the many ministries The Salvation Army of San Bernardino currently offers. Others include serving dinners six nights a week to up to 200 people, helping emergency workers in disasters, providing spiritual counseling and training, operating youth mentoring programs, and working to improve the lives of homeless people within the community.
“None of the money we are about to receive can be used for these other programs,” Capt. Ball said. “While the money for our apartment project is wonderfully received by The Salvation Army, it’s important to understand that the many other programs we operate need continued support.”
The Salvation Army will build the new transitional apartments on the same property where it will soon relocate its emergency shelter. It is still working out the design of this shelter, but Capt. Ball expects it to house 60 to 80 people, with room for an additional 40 more during cold weather months.
It plans to also remodel some of the new shelter’s rooms for single women and families with children.
Adult Rehabilitation Center, a separate branch of The Salvation Army, currently operates the Tenth Street shelter as a residence for men in recovery from addictions. The Salvation Army of San Bernardino operates a shelter at 746 W. Fifth Street, primarily serving homeless women and children, but also married couples.
In October of 2008, Adult Rehabilitation Services will move its men’s residence to a new building on Doolittle Street, and the Salvation Army of San Bernardino intends to move its services to Tenth Street.
The Salvation Army San Bernardino Citadel Corps has helped residents of San Bernardino, Rialto, Grand Terrace, Highland, Bloomington and Colton since 1887.
The homeless shelter and meals program is at 746 W. Fifth St. in San Bernardino. For more information, call (909) 888-1336.
