Salvation Army events for the year in West Tennessee
JACKSON, Tenn. — With the year more than half way over there are several things The Salvation Army has in store.
During the summer, as a way to help underprivileged families, The Salvation Army sends a group of children to Camp Paradise Valley in Kentucky, free of charge.
“It’s life changing for them, you know many of the kids in our community are never bake to get outside of Jackson sometimes,” said Salvation Army Corps Officer Lt. Cheryl Moynihan. “And so they’re out in this beautiful place out in the country. It’s just a great great experience for them.”
Lt. Moynihan says it’s a program that runs from June to the end of July every summer.
“They can start signing up for next year we can start getting all their paperwork things like that in order,” said Lt. Moynihan. “And we’re only able to do this because of the donors who donate and sponsor children.”
Every week organization has a “community canteen,” a mobile fresh food market held on Wednesdays. The organization visits different communities that lack access to grocery stores and provide fresh foods.
“Whether it be seniors who can’t get out, single parents who struggle, who don’t have vehicles to get to stores to get whole foods, and we set up a fresh market,” said Lt. Moynihan. “It ends up providing a weeks worth of meals.”
And this year the local chapter is participating in a national Salvation Army back to school event, “Stuff The Bus.” The program partners with local Walmarts and aims to have school supplies donated for students here in West Tennessee.
“It’s that time of year again and parent’s know it’s a struggle to make sure your kids have everything they need,” said Lt. Moynihan.
But the busiest time of year for The Salvation Army is the holidays, when the organization hosts both “Battle of the Bells” and the “Angel Tree” program for the Christmas season.
“Families who are struggling to provide gifts for their children, they can come and apply for help, and we’re able to provide for those kids brand new toys,” said Lt. Moynihan.
Lt. Moynihan says they will be holding a pop-up thrifting event next month as well, with donated items from local retailers.
For more about their events, visit the “Seen on 7” section of our website.
