was invited to sit in on an Advisory Board in the mid-‘80's and have been a member ever since.

Being the former Chair of the Advisory Board and now the Treasurer, I can confidently say that The Salvation Army is known as one of the most trusted organizations time and time again because of how they steward donors’ money. I’ve observed the financial statements for years, and not a single dime is wasted. But the most important thing I’ve learned is the meaning behind the saying, "A hand up, not a handout."

I often say that The Salvation Army is one of the best-kept secrets in town because the money isn’t wasted on marketing dollars; it’s spent on the programs and services offered.

Being on the Advisory Board is very rewarding. For example, about six years ago, we saw an increase in the homeless population in our community. We also recognized that our current shelter was built over 100 years ago and could only serve men.  We started fundraising for the money necessary to build a shelter to serve women, families, and male veterans. We needed roughly 5 million dollars to make this happen, and we’ve raised right under our goal thanks to our community’s fantastic support. Our Advisory Board has played a key role in ensuring we are financially sound by the opening date so we don’t have significant debt in years to come.

We look forward to opening the new Center of Hope in May which will provide 32 beds for women and children and 17 additional beds for male veterans.