Meals and hydration are being provided for first responders and those affected.   Major Steve Morris, Arkansas-Oklahoma Divisional Commander has been driving around the affected area.    Major Morris states “The devastation is far reaching both in human life, property and livestock loss.  The Salvation Army is honored to serve and provide sustenance to first responders involved in search and rescue, coordination efforts and more.  And, of course, all survivors will be provided spiritual and emotional care.”

Canteens involved in the response from Oklahoma include Central Oklahoma Area Command (Oklahoma City), Ardmore, Enid, Lawton, McAlester and Muskogee.  Also, disaster response teams from Pine Bluff, Jonesboro and Hot Springs, Arkansas are en route to the Oklahoma City metropolitan area to assist in response.  Personnel from across the division are also traveling to the area to form a Divisional Incident Command Team (which helps coordinate the overall response for The Salvation Army).  Central Oklahoma Area Command has established a local Incident Command team for response.

The Salvation Army is ready to provide the services mentioned above for as long as we are needed.  Additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

For additional information, Please follow us at:

• www.twitter.com/salarmychicago
• https://www.facebook.com/SalvationArmyChicago

Monetary donations are the most critical need as supplies and personnel are mobilized. Donors are encouraged to give at :

• www.SalvationArmyUSA.org
• 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
• Text the word “STORM” to 80888
• The Salvation Army PO Box 12600 Oklahoma City, OK 73157

Your donations make a real difference.

• A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day.
• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
• A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
• A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
• A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day

Every Tuesday afternoon, the sounds of trumpets and trombones echo down the busy hallways of The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center.  For Anaya Moore, 11, and her fellow brass players from nearby Songhai Elementary Learning Institute, Tuesdays are the best day of the week.

“Most nights after school, I just go home and help my mom with my sisters,” said Anaya, who is the oldest of six girls, the youngest of whom is almost 2.   “I babysit a lot because my mom works late and is taking classes online to become a lawyer.  Music lessons are a way that I can do something I love, for myself.”

The Salvation Army has offered after-school music education classes at Songhai, and several other nearby schools in the West Pullman and Roseland neighborhoods of Chicago, for nearly six years.

Anaya has come to the Kroc Center for music lessons since the opening of the facility in June of 2012; before that, The Salvation Army taught Anaya at her school.

Debra Hester, Special Education Classroom Assistant at Songhai, escorts more than 15 children to the Kroc Center each week for a variety of music lessons, including coronet, trombone and percussion.  Debra has seen what a difference The Salvation Army’s music programs have made in all of her students.

“I was so attracted to our partnership with The Salvation Army because I just loved the way they took the initiative with their music programs,” said Debra.   “The growth we see in our students’ personality and confidence is truly amazing.  It’s like you turned on a bright light and they just shine.”

Debra says Anaya’s light is especially bright thanks to The Salvation Army.  “Anaya has a very mature personality,” says Debra.  “Before her music lessons begin, she runs home and makes sure that all of her sisters are home and safe.  She’s always been a bright student, who has stayed truly committed to her love of music.”

Anaya’s grades have improved since she started taking music lessons with The Salvation Army, and she is currently on the honor roll at Songhai.

Songhai is on the list of Chicago Public Schools up for possible closure.  It remains to be seen which school Anaya and her band mates will attend in the fall, but Debra says the chances of that school having a fine arts program aren’t good.  Which is why the music education that The Salvation Army provides at Corps Community Centers and in schools across Chicago is so pivotal.

This spring, Anaya’s mom will have a front row seat as Anaya performs with hundreds of other Salvation Army music students from across Chicagoland at the ‘Let the Music Begin’ concert on May 18. More than 13,500 children receive music training through Salvation Army Metropolitan Division programs each year.

After 41 years of drug and alcohol abuse, Maurice Bufford, 59, hit rock bottom and attempted suicide. “I was so low. I stole from family members, I was scared and I had nothing else. I just wanted to die.”

Despite common belief, sex trafficking is not just a third-world problem. In fact, right now, an estimated 244,000 to 350,000 children are being emotionally and physically abused through the sex trade in the United States.

Despite numerous laws designed to protect children from this abuse, sex trafficking continues to flourish in the U.S. The Salvation Army has been actively involved in partnering with authorities across the Chicagoland area to combat the sex trade, rescue its victims and provide them with treatment and shelter.

The Salvation Army PROMISE program (Partnership to Rescue our Minors from Sexual Exploitation) educates professionals working in the community how to identify the warning signs of human trafficking and work with the authorities to intervene on victims’ behalf. We actively train law enforcement, legal professionals, teachers, social service providers, health care providers and community members.

We have also opened Anne’s House, a residential home for young women age 12 to 21 who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The home provides a safe, nurturing environment as well as long-term trauma and therapeutic treatment. Anne’s House is the only long-term trauma-based residential home for victims of sex trafficking in Illinois, and one of only a handful in the country. Girls are referred to the program from throughout the country.

The Salvation Army Stop-IT program enhances the community’s ability to identify the red flags of human trafficking, and collaborate with government and juvenile services agencies. The program also operates a 24-hour hotline providing support to survivors and responding to referrals from law enforcement and the community. The program serves both children and adult victims of sex and labor trafficking, including domestic minors and undocumented foreign nationals.

Stop-IT assisted in the first human trafficking conviction in Illinois, with two men being convicted in February 2011 of exploiting two teenage girls. The Illinois States Attorney’s Office said the conviction was a result of collaboration between the Cook County Sheriff’s Police, the Special Prosecutions Unit and its community partner, The Salvation Army.

During the following weeks, The Emergency Disaster Services department created and distributed more than 4,000 flood clean-up kits to residents in need; in some cases going door to door for those who could not leave their homes. The Salvation Army understands that many neighbors lack adequate resources to sustain them through this catastrophe, so the organization stands ready to determine critical needs and identify assistance that will help carry the neighbors through. The Army will continue to provide long-term recovery assistance to help the local communities affected by the floods.

Excelling in school can be a challenge for any young person. There are distractions, in school and at home, that can take attention away from studying and achieving good grades. Those distractions are multiplied when the young women has a child to care for.

With that in mind, The Salvation Army has opened an Early Head Start Center at The Simpson Academy for Young Women. The center features three infant rooms and one toddler room serving up to 36 infants and toddlers. Staffed by certified Salvation Army child care providers, the center will provide young mothers with the satisfaction of knowing that their children are receiving high-quality child care and Early Head Start services in an easily accessible, nearby location, so they can remain focused on their education. Funding for the Center is being provided by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS).

The Simpson Academy for Young Women is the only public school for pregnant girls and mothers in Illinois serving girls in grades 6 to 12 from throughout Chicago, and it has been a school with CPS for over 30 years. In 2011, Simpson Academy changed from a transitional school that served pregnant students until they gave birth to a full-time school focused on supporting students even after they became mothers.

“This partnership between The Salvation Army, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and CPS provides an additional layer of support for young mothers who run the risk of missing school, or even dropping out, due to the lack of accessibility of high-quality, reliable and affordable child care,” said Lt. Colonel Ralph Bukiewicz. “The Early Head Start  Center provides Simpson students a safe place for their children to learn and grow, while ensuring that young mothers receive that same educational opportunities as any other student. And, they have peace of mind in knowing their newborns and toddlers are right next door.”

Simpson Academy students receive a variety of supportive services in addition to on-site child care to ensure their success, including on-site prenatal care and well-child care, mental health counseling, parenting education, financial literacy education, domestic violence prevention and classes on healthy relationships. Simpson also has a dance team, a basketball team and other extracurricular programs. The school is focused on developing “Great Mothers, Great Scholars, and Great Citizens” and has a graduation rate of more than 90 percent.

Amber Laster, 17, a junior at the Simpson Academy for Young Women and mother of Jabari, 10-months, said “This is a huge relief for me.  I know that while I’m in school, Jabari is well taken care of, and that means I can focus on my school work. If he needs me, I’m right there. I have a plan for my future. I’m doing well in school and next summer I will graduate.  I’m planning to go to college and study to become an executive chef so that I can provide a good life for me and Jabari.”

The Salvation Army also provides an additional classroom at its nearby Temple Corps Community Center for children of Simpson students who turn 2 years old before their mothers graduate high school. The Salvation Army Temple Corps will also offer Simpson students nearby access to Salvation Army after-school programs, tutoring, summer day camps and character-building programs.

The Salvation Army operates a total of 8 Head Start sites across Chicagoland and is one of the largest providers of Head Start services for children in Chicagoland. The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division provides full and half-day early care and education programs to more than 380 children and also provides visiting services to pregnant and parenting teens, most who are often without permanent and stable housing.

Frederick Frick was a young Marine corpsman when he was first introduced to The Salvation Army. He remembers several young ladies standing at the train station offering bags of supplies or fruit, and wishing the men good luck on their journeys.

Seventy one years later, Frederick, now 87, is still being served by The Salvation Army – through the Golden Diners home delivery program for seniors. Each year, more than 5,000 seniors in Kane and McHenry counties are served by The Salvation Army Golden Diners program.  Golden Diners delivers more than 800 meals every day.  Homebound seniors receive a friendly visit and a hot, nutritious meal delivered by The Salvation Army.  The visit also serves as a daily wellness check.  The program helps prevent malnutrition for seniors, as well as avoid institutional care for as long as is safely possible.  Golden Diners congregate meals and wellness checks also alleviate seniors’ isolation.

Low-income seniors who are able to travel can enjoy a chance to socialize over a hot, nutritious meal at one of 10 Golden Diner locations for congregate meals.   Meals are free for low-income seniors who qualify.  Others are encouraged to make a suggested donation of $3.50, about half the cost for the meal.  All eligible seniors can receive a meal, regardless of their ability to contribute. State and Federal funding makes up about 45 percent of the necessary funds for Golden Diners.  The remainder is provided by The Salvation Army, local townships, the United Way and private donations.

Every day for a year and a half, Salvation Army staff member Steve Rashkow has arrived at Frederick’s home with a warm meal and a friendly smile. He often spends a few minutes catching up. Through the daily visits, a friendship formed. “My wife made Frederick some cookies one day and he sent her a thank you note,” said Steven. “We just remember each other in those ways.”

Last year, Steve – himself a former Marine – took Frederick to the annual Marine Corps Birthday Bash as his special guest. “He said it was the best day of his life next to his wedding day,” Steve said. They are expected to attend this year’s event as well.

Steve has worked at The Salvation Army for nearly two years, but started as a volunteer. His dedicated service is a result of support his family received after the birth of his daughter. She was very ill and Steve had no money for her care. “The Salvation Army was the only organization willing to help us even though we couldn’t pay. You don’t forget that.”

As for serving another vet, Steve feels a sense of pride. “Those who served in World War II are a special breed. We didn’t share the same experiences, but we all served our country.”

National Salvation Army Week is once again upon us, and it is a time when we reflect on all the organization has accomplished, and how much is left to do. Tens of thousands of people depend on the work of The Salvation Army’s programs every month, but the success of the programs would not be possible without the many volunteers that dedicate their time and expertise to serve others.

Volunteer opportunities are plentiful at The Salvation Army – for both individuals and corporations looking to get involved and positively impacting the communities around them. One example is the food-packing event that global consulting firm Protiviti was a part of.

Executives and employees, led by Executive Vice President  Jim Pajakowski, a Community Advisory Board Member and long-time supporter in the William Booth Society, packed meals for central India’s hungry through a  massive volunteer event.   More than 250 volunteers from Protiviti participated in the event, called “iCare.”

The” iCare” event took place during Protiviti’s Global Leadership Conference in Chicago as part of the firm’s commemoration of its 10th anniversary.  Volunteers expected to pack around 75,000 meals.  In a remarkable demonstration of teamwork and dedication, iCare volunteers packed more than 100,000 meals.  The event was coordinated jointly between The Salvation Army and Numana, a partner with the Army in global hunger relief efforts.

“This was an outstanding event in so many ways,” said Pajakowski.  “It was a great team-building event.  We were able to help those in need and to partner with two great organizations in The Salvation Army and Numana.”

Volunteers worked all afternoon to pack life-sustaining, non-perishable meals consisting of rice, soy protein, freeze-dried beans, and 21 vitamins and minerals.  The meals are specifically designed to improve the immune system of malnourished people. The Salvation Army Central India Territory, headquartered in Chenai, India, distributed the meals through schools and other educational centers.

“This event was truly a great example of how a group of people can come together, and in relatively a short period of time, do something that has a huge impact on those in need,” said Sharon Linstrom, Managing Director at Protiviti, who volunteered during the event.  “The Salvation Army and Numana did a wonderful job organizing the event, giving us the tools and support we needed to exceed Protiviti’s goal.  I would highly recommend this kind of event to other companies.”

India’s failed food policies have become the subject of intense debate worldwide after years of corruption and waste.  India grows and stores more grain than any other country, except for China, yet more than one-fifth of its people are malnourished.  According to a recent World Bank study, just 41.4 percent of grain from federal warehouses reaches Indian homes.  A new food security law has recently been proposed in India that will allow the poor to buy more rice and wheat at lower prices and double the number of people who receive food from the government, but until then, events like iCare are crucial to helping to ensure that no one in India goes hungry.

CHICAGO (May 9, 2013) — The Salvation Army is opening a child care center on-site at the Simpson Academy for Young Women.  Simpson Academy is the only public school in Chicago, as well as the state of Illinois, for pregnant women and young mothers.

To mark the opening of the Center, a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was held today and attended by Lt. Colonel Ralph Bukiewicz, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army; Vanessa Rich, Deputy Commissioner of the City Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS); Chicago Public School officials and Alderman Bob Fioretti, 2^nd Ward.

The Salvation Army Early Head Start Center is located on the grounds of the Academy at 1321 S. Paulina Street in Chicago, and will feature three infant rooms and one toddler classroom serving up to 36 infants and toddlers.  Staffed by certified Salvation Army child care providers, the center will provide young mothers with the satisfaction of knowing that their children are receiving high-quality child care and Early Head Start services in an easily accessible, nearby location, so they can remain focused on their education. Funding for the Center is being provided by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS).

The Simpson Academy for Young Women is the only public school for pregnant girls and mothers in Illinois serving girls in grades 6 to 12 throughout Chicago, and it has been a school with CPS for over 30 years.  In 2011, Simpson Academy changed from a transitional school that served pregnant students until they gave birth to a full-time school focused on supporting students even after they became mothers.

“This partnership between The Salvation Army, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and CPS provides an additional layer of support for young mothers who run the risk of missing school, or even dropping out, due to the lack of accessibility of high-quality, reliable and affordable child care,” said Lt. Colonel Ralph Bukiewicz.  “The Early Head Start  Center provides Simpson students a safe place for their children to learn and grow, while ensuring that young mothers receive that same educational opportunities as any other student.  And, they have peace of mind in knowing their newborns and toddlers are right next door.”

“The paring of these two facilities will provide tremendous opportunities for both the children and the mothers who participate,” said Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Commissioner Evelyn Diaz. “Infants and toddlers and their mothers will get the type of support they need to succeed in life and establish healthy families, and they will be able to do so together.”

Simpson Academy students receive a variety of supportive services in addition to on-site child care to ensure their success, including on-site prenatal care and well-child care, mental health counseling, parenting education, financial literacy education, domestic violence prevention and classes on healthy relationships.  Simpson also has a dance team, a basketball team and other extracurricular programs.  The school is focused on developing “Great Mothers, Great Scholars, and Great Citizens” and has a graduation rate of more than 90 percent.

Amber Laster, 17, a junior at the Simpson Academy for Young Women and mother of Jabari, 10-months, said “This is a huge relief for me.  I know that while I’m in school, Jabari is well taken care of, and that means I can focus on my school work.  If he needs me, I’m right there. I have a plan for my future.  I’m doing well in school and next summer I will graduate.  I’m planning to go to college and study to become an executive chef so that I can provide a good life for me and Jabari.”

The Salvation Army also provides an additional classroom at its nearby Temple Corps Community Center for children of Simpson students who turn 2 years old before their mothers graduate high school.  The Salvation Army Temple Corps will also offer Simpson students nearby access to Salvation Army after-school programs, tutoring, summer day camps and character-building programs.

The Salvation Army operates a total of 8 Head Start sites across Chicagoland and is one of the largest providers of Head Start services for children in Chicagoland.  The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division provides full and half-day early care and education programs to more than 380 children and also provides visiting services to pregnant and parenting teens, who are often without permanent and stable housing.

To see more photos from the event, view slideshow below. 

To mark the opening of the Center, a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was held today and attended by Lt. Colonel Ralph Bukiewicz, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army; Vanessa Rich, Deputy Commissioner of the City Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS); Chicago Public School officials and Alderman Bob Fioretti, 2^nd Ward.

The Salvation Army Early Head Start Center is located on the grounds of the Academy at 1321 S. Paulina Street in Chicago, and will feature three infant rooms and one toddler classroom serving up to 36 infants and toddlers.  Staffed by certified Salvation Army child care providers, the center will provide young mothers with the satisfaction of knowing that their children are receiving high-quality child care and Early Head Start services in an easily accessible, nearby location, so they can remain focused on their education. Funding for the Center is being provided by the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS).

The Simpson Academy for Young Women is the only public school for pregnant girls and mothers in Illinois serving girls in grades 6 to 12 from throughout Chicago, and it has been a school with CPS for over 30 years.  In 2011, Simpson Academy changed from a transitional school that served pregnant students until they gave birth to a full-time school focused on supporting students even after they became mothers.

“This partnership between The Salvation Army, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and CPS provides an additional layer of support for young mothers who run the risk of missing school, or even dropping out, due to the lack of accessibility of high-quality, reliable and affordable child care,” said Lt. Colonel Ralph Bukiewicz.  “The Early Head Start  Center provides Simpson students a safe place for their children to learn and grow, while ensuring that young mothers receive that same educational opportunities as any other student.  And, they have peace of mind in knowing their newborns and toddlers are right next door.”

“The paring of these two facilities will provide tremendous opportunities for both the children and the mothers who participate,” said Chicago Department of Family and Support Services Commissioner Evelyn Diaz. “Infants and toddlers and their mothers will get the type of support they need to succeed in life and establish healthy families, and they will be able to do so together.”

Simpson Academy students receive a variety of supportive services in addition to on-site child care to ensure their success, including on-site prenatal care and well-child care, mental health counseling, parenting education, financial literacy education, domestic violence prevention and classes on healthy relationships.  Simpson also has a dance team, a basketball team and other extracurricular programs.  The school is focused on developing “Great Mothers, Great Scholars, and Great Citizens” and has a graduation rate of more than 90 percent.

Amber Laster, 17, a junior at the Simpson Academy for Young Women and mother of Jabari, 10-months, said “This is a huge relief for me.  I know that while I’m in school, Jabari is well taken care of, and that means I can focus on my school work.  If he needs me, I’m right there. I have a plan for my future.  I’m doing well in school and next summer I will graduate.  I’m planning to go to college and study to become an executive chef so that I can provide a good life for me and Jabari.”

The Salvation Army also provides an additional classroom at its nearby Temple Corps Community Center for children of Simpson students who turn 2 years old before their mothers graduate high school.  The Salvation Army Temple Corps will also offer Simpson students nearby access to Salvation Army after-school programs, tutoring, summer day camps and character-building programs.

The Salvation Army operates a total of 8 Head Start sites across Chicagoland and is one of the largest providers of Head Start services for children in Chicagoland.  The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division provides full and half-day early care and education programs to more than 380 children and also provides visiting services to pregnant and parenting teens, who are often without permanent and stable housing.

BACKGROUND: 

The Salvation Army is the largest social service organization in the world and the single largest direct provider of social services in Chicago and the state of Illinois.  The Army operates 200 points of entry in neighborhoods across the greater Chicago area, providing disaster relief, shelter, meals, rehabilitation programs, child care and Head Start, senior services and more.  On any given night, about 1,200 people are sleeping under a Salvation Army roof.   In 2010, The Army celebrated 125 years of service in Chicago.  The Salvation Army is there every day, 24-hours-a-day in Chicago and throughout the country providing disaster relief to people in crisis.  For more information about The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division or to donate or volunteer, please visit www.salarmychicago.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-825-2769).

The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services is dedicated to providing coordinated services to enhance the lives of Chicago residents, particularly those most in need, from birth through the senior years.  The department works to promote the independence and well-being of individuals, support families and strengthen neighborhoods by providing direct assistance and administering resources to a network of community-based organizations, social service providers and institutions.

Simpson Academy for Young Women is a small, 6th-to-12th grade school located in the Illinois Medical District of Chicago that exclusively serves young mothers who are currently pregnant or parenting. Simpson Academy is a Chicago Public Middle and High School, and serves young mothers from all over the City of Chicago.  The mission of Simpson Academy for Young Women is to empower young women to be great mothers, great scholars and great citizens. Simpson Academy for Young Women provides comprehensive support to simultaneously prepare students for success. The vision of Simpson Academy for Young Women is to create a supportive environment for young mothers while providing them with holistic educational experiences. Simpson Academy strives to provide emotional, parental and academic development with a personal touch in the small school environment. simpsonacademy.org

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