Mary Margaret Whittington is Making a Difference in Rome, Georgia

Mary Margaret Whittington, a 25 year member of the Rome Corps Community Center’s advisory board has lived in Rome for all her life with the exception of the five years she studied at the Massey Business School in Atlanta.  When asked what made her unique in her community, she beamed with delight that she and her husband are fly fishermen and have caught fish in all 50 states.  In her work, she has a diversity of experience as she served as a congressional aide to Bob Barr, worked for AT&T in accounting, and she was a bank teller, a substitute teacher and a secretary.

It was her husband who introduced her to The Salvation Army 25 years ago.  As she stated, her husband served on the advisory board for two years then let her take over.  As chair of the Christmas Committee, Mary Margaret has consistently recruited volunteers to become bell ringers for The Salvation Army.  Her primary recruits typically come from Floyd Springs Methodist Church where she has been a longtime member.  Her volunteer bell ringers were part of the 48,483 Georgia volunteers who  brought about The Salvation Army Georgia’s 2010 success in raising $3,719,114 which enabled the Army the feed, shelter, clothe, and rehabilitate hundreds of thousands of Georgians throughout the year.   She brags that her volunteers have been the second or third top kettle performers for several years and it is probably because they literally put on a show of singing and dancing at the kettles to draw more donors in.  “Sometimes,” she says, “People give us money to stop singing and dancing!”

Other volunteers, of course, include her husband and two sons who have served Thanksgiving meals to the homeless and families who are struggling to make ends meet.  Because she loves feeding those who are hungry, she has prepared and brought meals for residents of The Salvation Army lodge which has room for men, women and children.   So many recipients have benefitted from her 20 year involvement with Christmas Food Basket applications.  Reflecting on her years helping families receive baskets, she says, “I’m thinking about learning Spanish so I can do a better job.”

As one who has a true passion for The Salvation Army, Mary Margaret is constantly talking to someone about the Army and its services.  If she knows friends are cleaning out their closets, she will remind them to donate to the Army.  She can also been seen around the community giving speeches about the Women’s Auxiliary which she is now rebuilding.

 

Mary Margaret Whittington is on a quest to help others learn more about how they can Be A Shield against hunger and homelessness for Rome’s less fortunate.  For her, the shield means “hope and help.”  When people come to the Army for hope, they are sure to find the help they need.

 

Roger Williams Leads Waycross Salvation Army in Fight Against Hunger

Roger Williams as publisher of the Waycross Journal-Herald has his finger on the pulse of almost everything that goes on in Waycross and Ware County.  Another way he tracks people, their lives and their needs is through his service as the Waycross Salvation Army Advisory Board Chairman.   He has been on the advisory board for 18 years since his installation in 1994.

As a father of three adult children, Rachel (42), Brad (39) and Matthew (36), Williams has plenty of time promoting the welfare of his community.  He is also a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Waycross and serves on numerous boards and committees including the Okefenokee Area Development Authority, Waycross Kiwanis Club, and University of Georgia Alumni Association.   In years past, Williams has also volunteered for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce, and American Cancer Society.

His work with The Salvation Army began when former Journal-Herald business manager, B. Morris Johnson invited him to join and attended his first board meeting in 1994.  The legacy had already been established by his late grandfather, Jack Williams, Sr. and late father, Jack Williams, Jr. who both served on the local Salvation Army advisory board.  As the current board chairman, he has enjoyed being a bell ringer during Christmas and providing food boxes to needy families in the area.  The memory of their expressions of gratitude continues to inspire him to seek out and address the needs of people who have little.  His goal of expanding the advisory board’s membership will facilitate The Salvation Army’s mission of meeting human need in His name without discrimination.

Waycross whose population is around 16,500 has a poverty rate of roughly 27%.  That means the Waycross Salvation Army stands ready to address many of the needs of those in the community.  Last year, the Waycross Salvation Army served meals to approximately 900 people and provided showers to almost 200 homeless individuals.  It operates a Family Store, provides food services, laundry and hot showers to the homeless, shelter from the cold, and social services that include providing clothing vouches, utility assistance and counseling services.  The advisory board knows that many more need help toward a better future, and it wants to be in a position to address those needs.  Williams uses his talents and expertise to help carry out the Army’s mission by regularly publishing news items in the Journal-Herald about the Army’s programs, activities, and client needs.

In a perfect world, Williams would eradicate child hunger because children are the most visible victims of undernutrition and suffer up to 160 days of illness each year because of it.   He says that poor nutrition plays a role in at least half of the 10.9 million child deaths each year and magnifies the effect of every disease, including measles and malaria.  He wants to do something about this and The Salvation Army as an international religious charity is the way he chooses to bring about change.

Roger Williams is a shield against hunger and homelessness.

 

Randy Quick is Making a Difference in Rome, Georgia

Randy Quick, Chair of the Rome Corps Community Center’s Advisory Board, is a lifelong resident of Rome and has an iconic voice that is recognized by everyone in the community.  He has been in the broadcast industry for 37 years and is the general manager for Rome Radio Partners.  He launched his career in journalism because he loved interacting with the public and has always been interested in journalism.  Randy has been on the advisory board for four years, but was introduced to The Salvation Army several years ago by a friend who was covering The Salvation Army Rome Corps’ Can-A-Thon.

Over the years, his own coverage of the Can-A-Thon brought him in contact with several corps officers with whom he developed great relationships.  One of the former chairmen of the Rome advisory board invited him to join the Can-A-Thon program and he was intrigued by knowing more about the work of The Salvation Army.  So he answered the call.  Each year, he rolls up his sleeves and helps the Rome Corps collect over 200,000 cans of food from the community which was part of the overall picture of 666,225 meals served to men, women and children in Georgia in the past year.

As advisory board chairman, one of his goals is better educating the community about what The Salvation Army does 364 days a year beyond Christmas.  He remains impressed with Captain Tim’s one-on-one and out of the box interaction with individuals as he walks the streets of Rome.  And he thinks more people should know about the extensiveness of The Salvation Army’s ministries.  He tells a compelling story of a F4 tornado that ripped through a couple of Rome subdivisions that left many homes demolished with just the foundations remaining.  Near the impacted neighborhoods was Pepper Middle School that was completely unscathed.  As families searched through the rubble, the first sign of hope and help came when they saw The Salvation Army feeding canteen onsite and serving meals.  Some were curious enough to ask where the canteen’s food had come from.  The answer:  the annual Can-A-Thon.  From that point, the Can-A-Thon was adopted by Rome’s school students who realized how blessed they were that fateful Palm Sunday when their schools withstood the storm and no one last their lives.

Randy has come to appreciate that over the years, Rome is not just a collection of individuals who are making a difference, it is truly a community that serves to Be A Shield against life’s daily struggles and unexpected tragedy.  His dream is to recruit citizen “Shields” through The Salvation Army.

 

James Jenkins of Griffin Feeds Community for 40 Years

James Jenkins, family man extraordinaire, has made his life in Griffin with his wife and 12 children ranging in age from 7 to 33 years old.   His blended family is not uncommon.  But what makes him and his wife special is their adoption of a crack baby that was abandoned at the hospital by his mother.  Jenkins says he simply cannot see someone suffer and not do something to help.  That makes him perfect for service as The Salvation Army Griffin Corps advisory board chairman.  He has held the position of chairman for four years and has volunteered on the advisory board for the past 18 years.

As one whose life revolves around food and the food industry, he brings a wealth of service experience to The Salvation Army.  He is the store manager for Piggly Wiggly and has worked for the company for 40 years.  Jenkins says he began working for the CNS Wholesale Group right out of high school and liked it so much, he made a career of it.  He notes that when you are in the food business, the issues of hunger and feeding spill over into many other aspect of your life.

He started a tradition of having his Piggly Wiggly store involved in the Red Kettle campaign annually.  Each year that the Griffin Salvation Army rings the bells at Piggly Wiggly, the kettles gross between $18,000 and $21,000 to help support Griffin’s Salvation Army programs like the food pantry, homeless shelter, youth programs, and disaster services that assist those most in need.  Although Griffin suffers from 15% unemployment rate, people are incredibly receptive to The Salvation Army and want to do what they can to support its mission.  Loyal supporters helped The Salvation Army in Georgia serve over 666,225 meals to the hungry last year.  In addition to approving his store as an annual location for the kettles, he engages his Rotary Club members who adopt the kettles at his store, providing an all-volunteer bell-ringer force.

The Red Kettles campaign is his favorite Salvation Army activity.  However, he equally loves supporting the children’s programs. Referring again to his 12 children, he reiterates how important he thinks it is to take care of children because they are the future and have their whole lives ahead of them.  His passion is seeing disadvantaged children receive opportunities that can make their lives promising for the future.  Of all the things one can accomplish in life, Jenkins says, “You’ve really done something if you can turn a life around.”  With that said, children plus The Salvation Army is a winning combination that he can’t help but be part of.  He is a shield for The Salvation Army by integrating his career of proving food for the community and leveraging the power of his partnerships to feed those who are emotionally, physically, and spiritually hungry.

Anonymous donor is a shield against hunger this Holiday Season

This weekend in Milledgeville, an anonymous man came to The Salvation Army with his arms filled with food boxes. He said, “I would like to donate these food boxes to your elderly angels. I am unable to buy bikes, but I can’t stand to know someone is going hungry.”

Now that is the act of kindness and compassion, and giving even when you have nothing to give. This makes me think about the kettles I have passed and not given money to, because I “needed” the money to buy presents for my family. It’s not too late to give this holiday season. Whether it’s your time, money or resources, The Salvation Army in your community needs YOU! Click here to see how you can Be a Shield in your community…

Click here to donate now.

 

Turkey Day in LaGrange!

The LaGrange Corps Community Center  was selected as one of two local charities to benefit from the “T-Shirt for aTurkey” donation drive November 8.  The drive was sponsored by Christian Radio Station J93.3, Chick-Fil-A, and Lexus of Atlanta.  Local citizens were all too excited to bring a frozen turkey in exchange for a J93.3 T-Shirt, knowing needy families would be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal of turkey with all the trimmings who would not otherwise be as fortunate.  Many LaGrange citizens learned how easy it is to “Be A Shield” against hunger by either donating a turkey or money to The Salvation Army LaGrange Corps.

 

Interested in Being a Shield This Thanksgiving Season?

Interested in hosting a food or clothing drive? Want to volunteer or donate to your community in Georgia?

Click here to find out how you can be a shield in your community this holiday season!

Krista Colson is a shield against hopelessness for Georgia’s tornado survivors.

Krista Colson who serves as the Volunteer Youth Club Leader for Modern Woodmen, a financial fraternity, was moved to “Be a Shield” for some 858 victims of the April 2011 tornadoes that The Salvation Army helped get back on their feet. A new club member herself, she wasted no time getting the Youth Service Club involved with The Salvation Army which was on the scene to meet the immediate needs of victims by providing food, water, clothing, shelter, and emotional and spiritual care to those who sought it in their time of loss and distress in April.
The Army is one of many charities that have benefited from her enduring civic-mindedness. She and her family have given time and money to the local animal shelter, Harvest House Food Bank, park and cemetery clean-ups, and replacing a tattered American flag for a bank.

After hearing about the tornado devastation in Georgia and Alabama, she and her family couldn’t help adding one more project to their charity wish list and worked quickly to raise money to assist survivors of the tornadoes. Her organization is typically allowed to do only one matching fund donation per year, but Krista convinced her group to make an exception so that The Salvation Army could serve more people. Krista and her family donated $200 to the Georgia Division’s Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services which goes a long way in supporting our ministry of meeting human need in His name without discrimination.

Interested in Being a Shield in your community? Go to www.salvationarmygeorgia.org/beashield

Be A Shield Competition!!

Be a Shield Competition!
Want to win a $50 or $75 gift card? Post your video or photo TODAY!

The Salvation Army of Georgia wants to recognize people who are being a shield by doing the most good throughout the state of Georgia. All you have to do is make a video or take a photo of you and/or your community being a shield in action. Voters like you decide who wins!

Go to www.salvationarmygeorgia.org to find out the details!

Making a difference one volunteer at a time…

We wouldn’t be successful without the compassionate volunteers who give up their time to The Salvation Army! Over the month of February we will be highlighting on those volunteers who are making a difference one volunteer at a time. Check out the “profile” of our first volunteer from Savannah, GA:

*Salvation Army Volunteer Profile
59 year old male Computer Analyst; lives in Savannah

Volunteer Role: Preparing food for the disaster management program, repairing computers and offering computer training for clients of the homeless shelter, preparing and serving holiday meals to the homeless.

In his own words: “I volunteer because I’m greedy. I like the feelings I get by giving back a small part of what the Lord has blessed me with.”

Why you chose The Salvation Army: “They are like the unsung heroes. They rarely toot their own horn. Additionally, the people I have met here all have a sincere desire to assist by giving to others.”

What do you want others to know about volunteering: “Most of us have been blessed by the Lord. However, many of us are one or two minor setbacks away from needing help ourselves. The parable of the talents tells it best. It we keep our talents to ourselves or bury them then they will be taken from us. If we use them, they will multiply. Some day I may need help, maybe not. But the Lord wants me to help. His work was based on service, as should be ours!”