Here are six facts about The Salvation Army. Who knows? You may pull out some of these facts for your next trivia night with friends. 

There are 26 Kroc Centers nationwide.

The first Kroc Center opened in June 2002 in San Diego, CA with a donation from Joan Kroc, the wife of McDonald’s CEO Ray Kroc. Kroc Centers are large-scale community centers designed to serve underserved communities with state-of-the-art facilities and programs. 

In 1865, William and Catherine Booth founded The Salvation Army.

It was originally named The Christian Mission, but later changed to The Salvation Army.  

Today, The Salvation Army is located in 134 countries worldwide.

In 1986, General Eva Burrows led The Salvation Army back into Eastern Europe, with work being re-established in the former East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Russia. 

The Salvation Army’s first disaster response was in 1900 to the devastating hurricane in Galveston, TX.

Today, The Salvation Army responds to numerous natural disasters, civil unrest situations and terrorist attacks. 

The first Salvation Army camp was held in Kansas City, MO.

30 tents were pitched in Fairmont Park in the summer of 1897. 

The first Red Kettle was set up in 1891.

Captain Joseph McFee, inspired by his days as a young sailor in Liverpool, England, set up a pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing in San Francisco to collect donations for the poor. Those donations would provide free dinner to the poor on Christmas Day. 

To learn more about The Salvation Army, read “21 Things You May Not Know About The Salvation Army.”