Appointed as the National Commander and National President of Women’s Ministries, we welcomed Commissioners Kenneth and Jolene Hodder to National Headquarters on July 1.

Going Deeper with Commissioners Hodders 

Commissioner Kenneth, what are essentials to Godly leadership?  

In my judgment, the principles of Godly leadership are encapsulated in Micah 6:8. A leader must act with wisdom, kindness and a spirit of servanthood.

Commissioner Jolene, what message do you have for young people across the United States?

Youth who follow the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. Youth who follow Christ, choosing to stand up and out for Him, will experience adventures beyond measure.

Spreading #SomeGoodNews

Even with stay-at-home orders in effect, the San Diego Echelon chapter continues to show up for their community! In finding creative ways to connect to a broader audience, this chapter is spreading #SomeGoodNews on their social media channels about the ways The Salvation Army continues to #FightForGood. 

Inspired by John Krasinski’s Some Good News YouTube Channel, the San Diego Echelon chapter shared how they remained positive and brought joy to others during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it is working on the frontlines to get food to the families experiencing hardship, writing cards of encouragement from home, making upcycled T-Shirt bags for canned goods or donating books and games to transitional living programs, the Echelon San Diego chapter is continuing to find creative ways to help others get through this difficult time and encourage each other.

You can join the San Diego Echelon chapter in sharing #SomeGoodNews by following their Echelon Facebook page @echelonsandiego and creating a post of your own!

By Katie Seifu, National Echelon Manager

“Youth who follow the crowd will usually go no further than the
crowd. Youth who follow Christ, choosing to stand up and out for
Him, will experience adventures beyond measure.”

Partnership in Rome

When the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy needed safe and affordable temporary housing for the refugee community it serves, The Salvation Army in Rome was able to turn a longstanding issue into an opportunity. Among the housing in The Salvation Army’s Italy and Greece command in central Rome, a building standing vacant for years was suddenly granted a new purpose.

Through guidance from The Salvation Army World Service Office’s Capacity-Building Partnership Initiative, the building was remodeled into short-term housing units, which were rented out to the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy for its clients. Income generated by the housing project will fund additional Salvation Army ministries in Rome, while solar panels on the roof will feed back into the city’s power grid.

By John Funk, SAWSO

Worldwide Coronavirus Response 

With the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, The Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO)  is responding in nearly all of the 131 countries, and SAWSO is there to assist the global mission with funding and technical support.

From India to the most remote island nations such as Tonga and Samoa, The Salvation Army is providing food, water, hygiene supplies, medical expertise and informational pamphlets to help keep vulnerable communities, their residents and even their pets safe and healthy in this time of great uncertainty.

By John Funk, SAWSO

Dinner Devotionals

Jade Stone, a teen attending The Salvation Army Kona Corps, wrote this devotional to be distributed amongst the meal boxes that the Kona Corps put together for the local homeless community. The Kona Corps serves approximately 225 meals a night to the homeless community at the local pier and preaches the Gospel at the same time. However, due to COVID-19 and social distancing restrictions, there was no way of preaching the Gospel among this community. The teens participating stepped in, writing and distributing devotionals amongst the meal boxes. 

“I love to encourage others through my writing,” says Jade. “I can’t thank the Kona Corps enough for allowing me to serve not based on my age, but the measure of my heart for the lost, but more importantly for God.”