Tag Archives: Giving

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army Kettle with the recognizable red shield next to a Salvation Army volunteer ringing the bell and soliciting donations is a familiar site during Christmas season.

Salvation Army is an international evangelical church and one of the world’s most significant non-governmental relief agencies. Its headquarters are in London, England. With a governance system of its own and a practice that slightly deviates from the mainstream doctrine of the church, the Salvation Army is well-known for its relief and charity work across the world.

The Salvation Army is one of the first NGOs to arrive at affected sites after natural or man-made disasters. Over the years, the organization has helped countless individuals rebuild their lives after devastating events and alleviate their suffering.

The Salvation Army was established by William Booth, a Methodist preacher and his wife Catherine Booth in 1865 in London, England. Their intent and mission were to bring salvation to the poor and downtrodden people and to meet their physical and spiritual needs.

Interestingly, Salvation Army’s ministers are called the “officers.” Officers’ ranks include lieutenant, captain, major, colonel and the general. They wear uniform type clothing. Women are given equal right within the church and, in fact, be ordained. Officers are allowed to be married. Husbands and wives often share the same rank and carry out the same assignments.

In 1879, the first meeting of the Salvation Army took place in Philadelphia. The Salvation Army established a strong presence in the United States after being officially welcomed by the White House in 1886 for their extraordinary charitable efforts.

Salvation Army is currently present in 131 countries. As when it was first established, its goals still are to advance the Christian religion, relieve poverty, help the needy and be munificent to mankind as a whole. As such, Salvation Army operates homeless shelters, runs thrift and charity shops, responds with disaster relief and provides humanitarian aid to developing countries.

 

About The Author:

The author of this article Amita Vadlamudi is a former Information Technology Professional. After her retirement, Amita Vadlamudi has been spending her time volunteering and blogging about charitable causes.

Lend a Hand: Be a Volunteer

Every person in this world has a responsibility to help the unfortunate and to make this world a better place to live. Many people and organizations, indeed for centuries, have done much charitable work and continue to do so.

Though some celebrities may receive significant publicity for their work, there are millions of ordinary people around the world who help the needy in various ways, while not receiving or expecting any recognition. All these people make the world a gentler and kinder place with their generosity.

Financial assistance is not the only way to help others. You can volunteer your time to help out people in many ways. You can volunteer at places like churches, charitable organizations, civic clubs and libraries and schools.

You can help the elderly by doing shopping for them, making minor repairs around their house, or simply being a friendly visitor. There are organizations that facilitate such services. Check out your local listings.

You can help children and teens by being a “big sister” or a “big brother”. Some children need help with their homework or remedial education. Some need guidance and sympathetic ear to talk to. There are organizations that arrange such contacts.

You can help people affected by disasters like fires, floods and medical issues, by offering to clean up or offering transportation, babysitting and light housekeeping services. You can contact humanitarian organizations such as Redcross to see where the help is needed.

Teachers are often overworked and stressed and they can always use some help. You can act as the teacher’s assistant and help them with small chores around the classroom. You may also assist with tasks such as checking papers, disciplining children, and reading stories to them.

You can volunteer at a library shelving books, cleaning up racks and assisting the staff with other necessary tasks.

There are many ways to give your time helping other people. Volunteering is a very satisfying and fulfilling job. It also helps you make friendships. It makes you connect with the world and appreciate your own good fortune.

Connecting with an organization where you can volunteer is easy. You can check out their website, contact them through phone or email and offer your service. Soon you will be on your way to starting a very rewarding journey.

The author of this article Amita Vadlamudi published many more articles on Scribd and Weebly Websites. More information about Ms. Vadlamudi can be found on her AngelList Website.

 

Selecting a Charity to Support

Helping Hand

Selecting a charity to support can be a difficult task; however, careful evaluation of a nonprofit is a good way to determine whether or not an organization deserves a person’s hard-earned money. Before picking a charity, a donor should identify an organization’s short- and long-term goals as well as how contributions are used. For example, a food bank may have a goal to spread its services to two additional counties within five years and will use donations to support this effort. Charities may offer this information on their website, or a potential donor may have to call a representative of the nonprofit to obtain this information.

Another tip for selecting a charity is to analyze a nonprofit’s progress over the course of its lifetime. Requesting information, like past annual reports, is a good way to review the organization’s growth and movement toward achieving mission and goals. Likewise, the potential donor can ask a nonprofit what metrics are used to measure its impact and successes.

About the Author:

A community advocate, Amita Vadlamudi likes to support local charitable organizations and needy causes by volunteering her time and by offering financial contributions. In addition, Amita Vadlamudi supports various national nonprofit organizations.