Listen: Welcome to Meet The Need, Day 2 of 50 with the Salvation Army of Greater Milwaukee! On our first day, the Cathedral Center and their work going beyond the shelter was a perfect illustration of how need can be deeply interconnected and multi-dimensional, one of Meet The Need's major themes. Today, the Salvation Army, shows us how a conversation surrounding need will have no problem remaining fresh for another 50 days.
While they've been in our community for over 100 years, the Salvation Army is always growing their work to match the changing demands of the times. Last year, Salvation Army Director of Communications Faith Colas gave us a look into their work around Milwaukee and she's returned this year to provide a fresh batch of perspectives on what they see in the community:
-When you think 'Salvation Army' around this time of year, the first thing that might come to mind is their diligent bell ringers -- in fact, when I saw my first ringer of the year standing out on Downer Avenue on a cold evening, I tapped her for a quick interview:
-This year, the Salvation Army will be launching another Toy Workshop to help families who cannot afford toys for their children. Definitely a worthy cause, but I challenged Faith to answer the question, "When we're talking about families that have trouble making ends meet, where do toys, which aren't essentials, fit into the picture?"
-Around Halloween time, you may live in a neighborhood where kids from outside your community come to trick or treat. Faith experienced the same thing this year and rather than taking a negative view, she asked herself an interesting question, "Why do these kids and their parents come to my neighborhood?"
-This is actually one of the most interesting bits of conversations I've had in a long time -- while we think about poverty in the context of adults and families, it's not often we consider how a young person conceives of their own poverty:
-Finally, Faith gets into what it means to volunteer with the Salvation Army:
This year, we ask you to adopt one or two organizations that connect with you. Want to get involved with the Salvation Army? Donate, volunteer, or check out their work yourself. And you can start with their website.