Salvation Army volunteer Evelyn Higgins leads the Colts out on the field to meet the Titans at Lucas Oil, Jan. 2, 2010.

It comes around each December – one of our biggest fundraisers. Radiothon. During this fast-paced, fun-filled weekend of radio chatter and hourly surprises, listeners call-in to pledge their support. This year’s gig was sponsored by the Colts, thus many of the prize packages included game tickets, autographed helmets/balls, and such. One deserving hourly winner was none other than longtime Salvation Army volunteer Evelyn Higgins.

Evelyn scored big with the chance to not only take 3 others with her to Sunday’s Colts vs. Titans game, but to actually ride along on the Lucas Oil motorcycle to lead the team out on the field. She was in church when she got the call from Salvation Army employee, Georgette Winkel, saying that she had won the package. By the time she left church that day, she’d already had several offers to buy the prize from her.

To say that Evelyn deserved this prize is an understatement. She has been a loyal and generous volunteer for 14 years, helping with everything from Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) to bell ringing. She started with Coats for Kids when her service sorority, Sigma Phi Gamma International was looking for service projects. She was hooked and has been volunteering ever since. Evelyn is also one of the original Doughnut Girls for The Salvation Army which attends various military related events to promote awareness of the service of these ladies during wartime by serving coffee and doughnuts to veterans. She gladly offers her time with every programs and event the Army holds. It seems fitting that she would be given a special ride onto the field, as a leader to victory.  “The whole experience was great and all the Colts personnel were terrific. Mr. Matt Godbout met us inside the stadium about an hour before kickoff, took us down to the field level and we got to watch the Colts go through some pre-game drills. Then I got into the motorcycle sidecar and was given a t-shirt and towel. I waved the towel as we led the team onto the field and that was an awesome experience. And to top off the day, the Colts won the game, the AFC South title, and a home game for the playoffs!”

Evelyn says she enjoys working with kids and the military, so she expects to continue volunteering with “the organization that Does the Most Good.”

If you’d like to know more about opportunities to volunteer with us, please contact Elizabeth Wilhelm at (317)224-1010.

My name is Donna. My life has been saved! This is a literal statement because the abuse from my husband had progressed to the point where he was going to kill me. And even worse than that he would have done so in front of my three children. He had never abused the children before, but the signs were all present and I knew it was just a matter of time before he started on them too.

People say, “Leave him! Go!” But where do you go? There was nowhere in the area to go, no shelters. How are you supposed to get out safely? And if you have children it becomes even more complicated. You leave on the spur of the moment whenever the opportunity becomes available to you.

Then you find out all of the shelters are full, no rooms available. I left home in the middle of the night with my three children with very few personal belongings. Who was there for us? The Salvation Army was there.

They had a room for us. In the middle of the night at 11:00pm they were there. My kids and I were finally safe. They first provided us with food, clothing, personal hygene items. After that they provided us with spiritual encouragement and hope. We stayed at The Salvation Army for several months until I was able to save up money for a safe apartment away from my abusive husband.

Currently I am still not at a place where I can give back, but when I am I will give generously so that The Salvation Army can be there for someone else in need. Thank you and God Bless.

Donna is a REAL woman whose REAL life was saved because she found refuge at our downtown shelter. Shelter that was available because people like you support our mission. The WIBC Radiothon isn’t just a fundraiser. It’s our best, most effective way to share stories like Donna’s with our community so we can gather enough support to keep those doors open.

Our goal this year is to raise enough support through Radiothon to provide 50,000 meals and 2,500 nights of shelter to Hoosiers in need in 2011. If you’d like to help, give Kristen a call at 224-1019.

(Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the client.  Donna* is currently enrolled in our Continuing Support Program and she continues contact with her case manager once a week.)

Locally, our donations were down nearly $300,000 for 2009-10. That’s about 10 percent of last year’s Christmas fundraising goal! Ironically, we’ve seen a spike in requests for financial assistance for rent and utilities and for food. In fact, we’ve served about 4,000 more of our neighbors in need in spite of bringing in less funds. How’d we do it? Cash reserves. The Salvation Army is pretty financially savvy when it comes to endowments and savings. Thankfully, when that rainy day came this year, we had the resources to continue to serve, and serve more, without tightening the belt too much. That won’t be the case in months to come.

We’re gearing up for our Christmas season and it looks like it’s going to be a busy one. We’re really hustling to gather enough coats to meet our community’s needs at our Coats for Kids distribution on October 30. The final days of collecting are upon us. If you haven’t had a chance to swing by a Tuchman Cleaners and drop off those coats, now’s the time. And you can always donate towards a new coat at on our secure website.

It’s also the perfect time to start thinking about our 16th annual WIBC Radiothon coming up on December 3-5. We’re looking for 32 businesses to become hourly sponsors and set the foundation of giving for listeners to call in and pledge. There are lots of ways to put your company’s dollars to work for your community. Check out our event website and find out how you can join Indianapolis Colts’ Tom Zupancic and 93 WIBC/1070 ESPN’s ‘Big’ Joe Staysniak in supporting The Salvation Army’s life-changing programs right here in Central Indiana.

We’ve proved that The Salvation Army is “doing the most good” with less, can you help us do even more? Call Kristen at 224-1019 to find out how.

Monday, May 10 – Dine to Donate at BD’s Mongolian Grill (3838 E. 82nd Street, Castleton) $15 for all-you-can-eat stir-fry, soup and salad. Click here for more info.

Tuesday, May 11 – WWI Salvation Army Doughnut Girls exhibit dedication, Indiana War Memorial (431 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis)

Thursday, May 13 – Dine to Donate at Max & Erma’s (5899 E. 86th Street, Castleton) 4-10pm. 20% of dine-in and carry out proceeds will benefit The Salvation Army. Don’t forget to take the flyer with you (we only get credit for your meal if you present the flyer).

Friday, May 14 – Eat Outside the Box (Veteran’s Memorial Plaza, 550 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis) 10am-2pm. Just $5 for a hot dog or hamburger, chips and a drink! [Thanks to our partners for donating lunch: All-American Picnic Company for the 'dogs and burgers, GFS for the chips, Noodles and Company for the water and Ricker's for the soft drinks] Come enjoy lunch and throw a game of cornhole for a great cause – helping Indy’s homeless and abused moms and kids.

It’s not too late  – if you’re interested in planning an event or getting the folks at the office involved, give Kristen a call at 224-1019.

We Americans like to do our part – from recycling to volunteering, we try to pitch in and help out in our communities. National Salvation Army week (the week of May 10th) is a perfect opportunity to focus your efforts on making a difference right here in Central Indiana. 

During his presidency, Dwight D. Eisenhower stated, “Among Americans, The Salvation Army has long been a symbol of wholehearted dedication to the cause of brotherhood. In time of war, the men and women of this organization have brought to those serving their country far from home, friendliness and warm concern.  In the quieter days of peace, their work has been a constant reminder to us all that each of us is neighbor and kin to all Americans, giving freely of themselves, the men and women of The Salvation Army have won the respect of all.”

The week of November 18 – December 4, 1954 was declared by the United Stated Congress and proclaimed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to be the first National Salvation Army Week.  Today, the dates have changed, but the work of The Salvation Army that was recognized has not  – to serve those in need without discrimination.

So, in celebration of this special week in May, we’ve come up with some tangible ways to get your employees involved in “doing the most good.”

Casual/Denim Day – Is your office on the professional attire end of the spectrum? What about a day that you give your employees the opportunity to “buy” a casual day for a good cause? Rolls Royce, Delta and Ingersoll Rand have all participated and found it to be a big hit. How about asking for $5 to wear jeans or even business casual? We can provide stickers (like “I Voted” stickers) that employees can wear to tell why they’re casual for the cause – helping out their neighbors in need.

Paper Kettles – Much like the Riley wagons or the Children’s Miracle Network hot air balloons, The Salvation Army has paper red kettles that your business can offer to customers/clients for a $1 donation. What a great way to show the community where your values lie – in helping women fleeing domestic violence, feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless and caring for seniors. Your place of business can proudly display the “kettles” throughout National Salvation Army week.

Dine to Donate – Are you a restauranteur? We’re looking for eateries willing to partner with us for a day during this week in May. Our event at Noodles & Company was a big hit and we’d love to offer opportunities for others to eat for a good cause. All you have to do is be willing to host a day where we get a portion of sales when people mention The Salvation Army. Easy, peasey! Great exposure for you, a simple fundraiser for our programs. It’s a win/win!

Got ideas? We have lots of ideas how we can promote our partnership with you, and we’d love to hear how your business can do something unique to join us during this national celebration.

Noodles Manager Brett Suthers takes an order during the March 12 Dine to Donate Day.

We asked you to come and use your lunch/dinner dollars to help us continue “doing the most good” and you did just that! The Noodles & Company on 86th Street tells us sales totaled over $1,300 from folks who mentioned us. Factor in a couple of t-shirts sold and some donations in the kettle, and we raised about $450 for our programs that serve the homeless and abused!

We’re looking forward to more events like these planned for National Salvation Army week, May 10-16. If your business would like to participate in the paper kettle campaign or a percent of sales/Dine to Donate day, give Kristen a call at 224-1019.

The Noodles & Company at 3450 W. 86th (near 86th and Michigan at the Pyramids) will be hosting a Dine to Donate day for our Homelessness Bites campaign all day next Friday, March 12 from 11am – 8pm. If you live or work in the area, this is a great opportunity to have a meal with purpose.

This Noodles location will be donating 25% of the proceeds from meals purchased for dine in or carry out that day when you mention The Salvation Army or Homelessness Bites. It’s an easy, practical way to help your neighbors who are struggling from the economic downturn or who are fleeing domestic violence situations.

Let us know if you’re coming. We’d love to see you at lunch. To learn more about how you can help The Salvation Army continue “doing the most good” visit www.salvationarmyindiana.org.

Major Welch and Jeff Stanger accept donation from Mike Jones and Ricker's CEO Jay Ricker

It takes a special kind of CEO to be willing to sacrifice a little pride while challenging his employees to do something good for their neighbors. Jay Ricker is that kind of CEO.

The Salvation Army has been fortunate to partner with Jay Ricker (CEO Ricker Oil, am/pm convenience stores) and his am/pm stores at BP stations across Central Indiana. Leading up to red kettle season, Ricker inspires his employees to talk up donations for the kettles in hopes to become the location to collect the most cash and coins for their neighbors in need. What’s the incentive? How about having your CEO visit your location to pass out free hotdogs to your customers….dressed as a clown!

We joined the celebration at the 52nd and Keystone BP store this afternoon to witness Ricker making good on his promise. Ricker’s team then presented Major Keith Welch and our Development Director, Jeff Stanger with a check for over $13,000 - the amount collected in kettles during the Christmas season and a company matching donation. The Salvation Army will use those funds to continue to offer food, shelter and support services for those in need across Central Indiana.

Thanks to Jay Ricker, Mike Jones and the team at Ricker’s Oil, am/pm, and the participating BP locations as well as all of the generous Hoosiers who donated during the Christmas season!

If your business is interested in partnering with The Salvation Army to continue “Doing the Most Good” right here in our community, contact Kristen Grills at 224-1019 or kristen_grills@usc.salvationarmy.org.

Salvation Army disaster service teams are helping in Haiti. Kroger gave $1,000 toward the relief efforts.

Kroger Central Division gave The Salvation Army $1,000 to help towards the Haitian earthquake relief. The Salvation Army has been raising money and sending disaster service teams since the earthquake hit in efforts to help the devastated country. A local Salvation Army three-man response team has been sent to help in Haiti. The three who went are Salvation Army Disaster Service Director Jerry Larsen and Salvation Army Officers Captain Marcos Ramirez and Captain Geff Crowell, all of which are trained first responders.

This isn’t the first time Kroger has given to The Salvation Army and they are continual participant in the red kettle campaign.

“By helping the Salvation Army, we also help our associates and our customers,” said Kroger Central Division Public Affairs Manager John Elliott. “They recognize the value the Salvation Army provides and both customers and Kroger associates place generous donations in the red kettles.  In times of need, they always are there for us and for the local communities we serve.”

The Kroger Central Division has been dedicated to supporting and serving the communities where their stores are located. They gave $10 million to local organizations focusing on hunger relief, K-12 education and health causes.

Kroger stores across America have helped raise The Salvation Army significant amounts of money, like the $10.6 million that was raised in 2008 from red kettle donations. In Indiana, Kroger has helped The Salvation Army’s relief of hunger and national disasters.

The Salvation Army is responding to the devastation caused by an earthquake near Port-au-Prince last night.

The Salvation Army is mobilizing resources and personnel to assist with the international relief effort in Haiti following a severe earthquake Tuesday that damaged much of the country’s infrastructure, housing and commercial buildings.

The Salvation Army has had a presence in Haiti since 1950 and currently operates schools, clinics, a hospital, feeding programs, children’s homes and church-related activities spread across two major facilities in Port au Prince, close to the epicenter of the earthquake and at other locations in the country.

Donate Now to The Salvation Army’s Relief Efforts!

Donations can be made from the above link or just text “HAITI” to 52000 to make a $10 donation to The Salvation Army’s relief efforts.

One of the facilities, or compounds as it is referred to, includes a home for more than 50 children; a school with a daily attendance of 1,500 children; a medical clinic caring for 150-200 people daily; and a church that on any typical Sunday welcomes nearly 1,000 people. The facility is less than 10 minutes from the National Palace and is in an area known as St. Martin that’s home to predominantly poor living in the nation’s capital.

According to reports from Salvation Army staff in Port au Prince, no one in the compound was injured during the earthquake, but the children’s home, the clinic and church suffered major damage. Several smaller buildings, including residences, have collapsed completely. People were sleeping in the parking lot overnight, while severe aftershocks continued to affect the country.

The second compound that houses Salvation Army administrative offices is being used as an emergency operations center; damage was slight to this compound, according to Salvation Army reports from Haiti.

The Salvation Army hospital in Fond-des-Negres (75 miles west of Port-au-Prince) reports some minor damage, but no injuries.

The Salvation Army’s World Services Office, based in Alexandria, VA, has committed $50,000 to the relief effort and the organization is prepared to commit more financial resources, as well as food, water and other emergency supplies, to assist in the recovery.

The organization is preparing to send more than 44,000 lbs of pre-packaged emergency rations to the country, along with emergency disaster teams. The Salvation Army is working with other agencies to identify appropriate transportation for the food. As with all such relief efforts, The Salvation Army will be a part of the initial emergency response while assessing longer term needs of the residents.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti at this time and especially our Salvation Army officers and employees throughout the country,” said Lt. Col. Dan Starrett, who directs the Salvation Army World Services Office.

The Salvation Army is accepting monetary donations to assist in the effort by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY and postal mail at: The Salvation Army World Service Office, International Disaster Relief Fund, PO Box 630728, Baltimore, MD 21263-0728.