Search Results

To read Rosemary’s Promoted to Glory notice and appointment history, click here

Anna, Judy and Vivien are all part of ‘Evangelism Explosion’ – a ministry that is flourishing at four corps in south-west Sydney. BY LAUREN MARTIN   What started as an evangelism program has turned into a “movement of God among us,” says Bankstown Corps Officer Captain Frank Wang.   Corps leaders and congregation members from Bankstown, Burwood, Campsie, and Hurstville Corps recently gathered at Hurstville to celebrate five years of running ‘Evangelism Explosion’ (EE), an evangelism training and discipleship initiative that Bankstown Corps initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic.   Over that time, they have seen God work incredibly, with: ·      57 people trained to share the gospel ·      24 outreach teams formed ·      165 outreaches conducted ·      Approximately 150 people committing their lives to Jesus Captain Frank Wang speaks at the Evangelism Explosion five-year anniversary event. Frank said Evangelism Explosion has become a powerful discipleship pathway for both new believers and seasoned Christians.   “Participants have grown in confidence, faith and their ability to share the good news of Jesus Christ, as well as their leadership capacity.” He says the ministry’s success has come about through the collaborative efforts of those involved from the four corps who had a shared vision to establish a culture of outreach and spiritual growth – not just to “run a program”. New believer, William Wang, speaks at the five-year anniversary of ‘Evangelism Explosion’ – a program running at four south-west Sydney corps.  Outreach teams regularly head out to local train stations, town centres and shopping areas to speak to people about Jesus, hand out information brochures and invite them to nearby worship services. “As we celebrate this milestone, we give all glory to God for the lives transformed and the faithful workers who have laboured in his harvest field,” said Frank.   If you’re interested in whether ‘Evangelism Explosion’ might be a good fit for your corps or area, contact Frank at: frank.wang@salvationarmy.org.au   Salvationists from four corps gathered at Hurstville Corps in Sydney’s south to celebrate five years of Evangelism Explosion.

All of us – across the world and of all different faiths and cultures – are pilgrims and strangers, writes Kirralee Nicolle. BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE As I wrote about recently , I’ve just moved interstate. After 10 years in Melbourne, I now live in the Adelaide Hills. It’s a beautiful part of the world, and my children are thoroughly enjoying a more outdoor lifestyle, which currently includes backyard chickens. But for me and my husband, and at times the children too, the shift has been a stressful one. I’m sure many of you can relate, especially if you have experienced frequent and significant moves. Illness, adjusting to a new town, house and home office and having our friends suddenly far away has all left us feeling a little unmoored and unsure what ‘home’ means. We’re slowly putting together the pieces of how we like to spend our days in this new place, but as a doctor told me just recently, adjusting takes time, but it also takes remembering what we already liked and enjoyed in our lives and trying our best to preserve pieces of what was, while embracing the new and exciting. Turns out, we thrive on the boring stuff of life, the stuff that doesn’t necessarily change. Familiar foods, hobbies and patterns to our day can help us restore a sense of belonging and equilibrium to our bodies. But that isn’t always possible. A phrase that has kept coming to mind as I’ve felt those niggling struggles to adjust is “pilgrims and strangers”, the King James Version Bible phrase from Hebrews 11:13 . The passage is referring to the people of faith, who, over centuries, had trusted God to provide for them despite not knowing the future or when God would fulfil his promises to them. I pray we all seek to be this kind of ‘pilgrim and stranger’. The in-between of life I don’t just think I’m something of a stranger in this new place, my whole being feels it. Nothing feels ‘known’, and while that’s an exciting adventure, it’s also odd. But what’s also struck me is that all of us – across the world and of all different faiths and cultures – are pilgrims and strangers. We enter the world as small, vulnerable beings who require constant assistance, and heartbreakingly – depending on where we are born and what the threats are – we may not even get that care that we so desperately need. When we die, we take that journey alone. When we believe in Jesus, we know we will be with him, but the isolation of death and dying is something many people fear – me included. Not all depictions of dying paint this as a sad reality, though. In John Williams’ literary classic Stoner , protagonist William Stoner, following a life marked by a sense of isolation and withdrawal, just before death finds himself with a new and unusual sense of contentment. “There was a softness around him, and a languor crept upon his limbs. A sense of his own identity came upon him with a sudden force, and he felt the power of it. He was himself, and he knew what he had been,” Williams writes. Knowing ourselves is an important part of coming to terms with our own isolation, but that knowing is not always easy to achieve. While none of us can be perfect, the best we can be is together, united in our imperfection and our desperate need of God and each other. In the in-between of life, our own individual struggles with health, finances, safety or relationships may isolate us, especially in cultures like in Australia, where such issues are still considered taboo, or where because of our status in society, we are overlooked or mistreated. Stronger together The power of what groups like The Salvation Army offer is not just the practical assistance and care that is offered with such generosity, it’s the sense of togetherness. More than anything, the Salvation Army, through its community housing, Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) centres, church communities, weekly groups and Doorways services – to name just a few programs – draws together people from all walks of life who are facing some of their most heartbreaking, rocky and lonely challenges. A problem that was once just mine to fix becomes a problem that all of us face. While that might seem like a source of weakness, it is in fact the greatest strength we have as humanity. While none of us can be perfect, the best we can be is together, united in our imperfection and our desperate need of God and each other. While I was feeling displaced and lost in my new home, visiting a Salvation Army centre in Adelaide to hear stories of transformation was a reminder to me of what rings just as true in Adelaide as it does in Melbourne, as it does across the Pacific Islands, as it does in Malawi or the United States or Sri Lanka. The Salvation Army is there to help. And invariably, the warm presence of a Salvation Army worker is exactly what people need to put one foot in front of the other and keep chugging on, even when life feels insurmountable. And that’s something that hasn’t changed, and won’t be changing soon.

Indigenous delegates and senior leaders gather for a photo after the First Nations ‘grounding’ session.   “Don’t come together to talk about what’s wrong but what’s strong.” – Shirli Congoo BY SIMONE WORTHING Over 160 delegates gathered for the Yakila – Walking and Talking Together conference at the Novotel Sunshine Coast, Queensland, on 10-13 September. Shirli Congoo, General Manager of the Territorial Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ministry team, welcomed the delegates on the opening night: “The Yakila Gathering is dedicated to fostering connection, reconciliation, cultural safety and understanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality among participants. This gathering is a vital space for connection and solidarity.” Shirli emphasised that this year’s theme – cultural safety, reconciliation and First Nations spirituality – invited deep listening and wholehearted engagement.   The annual conference was held on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Photos: Kathy Hughes The gathering was an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and Salvation Army personnel, including senior leaders, to walk alongside each other through truth-telling and prayer to seek greater understanding and improved outcomes. The event also celebrated the completion of the newly launched Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP); the deepening of The Salvation Army Australia’s ongoing commitment to respectful relationships, equity and justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People;  and the journey The Salvation Army has taken with First Nations People since the launch of the first stage of the national RAP in 2020.  READ MORE : Stretch RAP marks courageous and essential progress towards reconciliation Throughout the Yakila gathering, speakers, leaders and delegates acknowledged and celebrated the progress already made, and highlighted the work that still needs to be done to bring about ongoing, significant change.   The first two days of the conference were specifically designed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander personnel and Salvationists, emphasising cultural safety, reconciliation and the concepts of sharing, contribution and connection to promote social and emotional wellbeing. Non-Indigenous personnel and corps members participated during the remaining two days. Uncle Vince and Auntie Enid Ross at the Yakila gathering. Uncle Vince Ross, a Madi Madi man, The Salvation Army’s convenor of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council and Order of the Founder recipient, brought prayers, greetings and reflections.    “For me and Auntie Enid, what we see at Yakila gives us encouragement to keep going,” he said. “From where we started and where we are now, I think it’s so exciting, so good, so encouraging. And I think that’s why I’m still hanging around because I just want to encourage others on that journey. What we are doing and seeing together – lives being changed, people being encouraged and motivated, the growing and developing taking place – we’ve got to keep building on this through the opportunities we have.” After-dinner yarns and ‘chill-outs’ were important times at the end of each day for connection and storytelling.  Informal catch-ups were an important part of the Yakila gathering. Strong not wrong Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, who attended Yakila over the weekend days, said that two aspects of the gathering stood out to her.   “Auntie Shirli shared with us: ‘Don’t come together to talk about what’s wrong but what’s strong,’” she said. “That was demonstrated beautifully at the conference. There is so much that is rich and strong.   “I was also impacted by the depth of teaching from Mark Paulson (a local Indigenous leader from the Birrah, Gamilaroi and Bundjalung peoples).  He quoted his dad, Reverend Graham Paulson: ‘Christian principles for living must be extracted from the biblical cultural context and actively engaged in an Aboriginal context. Only in this way can Aboriginal Christianity discover its own unique identity and find its unique contribution within the developing Kingdom of God in this country.’  Mark shared this beautifully through his teaching.   “I also loved that each presenter brought a young person with them who they are mentoring.”   Commissioner Miriam Gluyas (in photos on the lefft) attended the second half of the Yakila gathering. Photos : Kathy Hughes Major Brett Gallagher, Head of Integrated Mission and Resourcing, was attending his first Yakila gathering.   “This is a great community that just gets together and supports each other, which I think is great,” he said.   “I think it’s also important that people like me are here listening to our First Nations personnel. I’m here to learn just how better I can support their ministry and the ministry that is going on across the territory with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and how we can do that best.” Shirli introduced the events, goals and speakers of each day, and convened the senior leaders’ panel and reflection/question time. Panel guests included Uncle Vince; Major Stuart Glover (Bundjalung man and Assistant Chief Secretary for Business), Major Kim Haworth (Assistant Chief Secretary for Mission), Lieut-Colonel Gregory Morgan (Secretary for Mission) and Adrian Appo (Goreng Goreng man and Salvation Army board member). Stretch RAP celebrated Lucy Davis, Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and Projects Manager, now on a 12-month secondment, presented the Stretch RAP ‘deliverables’ and what they mean in terms of actions to be taken, expected results and impact, and personnel responsible. She also led an interactive session on how staff can embed the RAP in their workplaces. Sue Hodges, Shirli Congoo and Lucy Davis prepare to cut the Stretch RAP celebratory cake. Lucy thanked everyone for their support and friendship over many years, and introduced Auntie Sue Hodges, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Coordinator for ACT/NSW, to those gathered. Sue has been seconded to the role of RAP and Projects Manager during Lucy’s absence.   At the conclusion of Yakila, Lieut-Colonel Gregory Morgan and Tahana Turner, Queensland Divisional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Coordinator, presented the inaugural Banaam Award to three recipients: Colonels Kelvin and Winsome Merrett, newly retired former Victorian Divisional Commander and Chief Secretary respectively, and Shirli Congoo.   The Banaam Award honours individuals who walk with courage, humility and deep respect in the journey with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and The Salvation Army.   “Banaam comes from the Bundjalung language, meaning strong younger brother,” Tahana explained.   “It recognises RESPECT (honouring history, traditions, and the lived experiences of First Nations peoples), RECIPROCITY (fostering balanced, mutual relationships grounded in trust and shared responsibility), and RESPONSIBILITY (working towards a just and equitable society through courageous leadership and meaningful action).   “We thank Kyle Slab, who permitted us to use this word and concept, and extend our congratulations to our friends.” Lieut-Colonel Gregory Morgan (left), and Uncle Vince (right), with award recipients Colonels Kelvin and Winsome Merrett and Shirli Congoo. Lieut-Colonel Morgan said that, although he is excited to see the intentional steps forward that have been made in The Salvation Army Australia’s journey in reconciliation and working together with First Nations People, there is still a lot to do.   “For me, the importance of an event like this and the importance of my engagement is that this is an ongoing journey,” he said. “The Salvation Army has to be serious about our engagement with First Nations people and about valuing the culture of our land and its people. I don’t want to rest on our laurels and there’s still a long journey ahead for us. “As a white Australian, I have inherited a lifestyle and a place in society that is denied to so many First Nations people. It’s important for me to understand that, but to recognise the ongoing impact of that and to do all that I can in helping to make positive change.”   The Salvation Army remains committed to transforming individual lives and communities across Australia, with more to come as the RAP deliverables become reality and are further developed. Gatherings like Yakila help build an understanding of the practical and spiritual realities of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to better partner together to see a transformed Australia. For more Yakila images, click through the slideshow below.

General Lyndon Buckingham has invited the global Salvation Army to join him in prayer on the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking this Sunday, 28 September. “I ask you to join with me in prayers for those held captive as a result of the evils of human trafficking,” The Salvation Army’s world leader said. To watch the General's video message, click on the main image above. The official logo for the international day of prayer. This year’s theme for the International Day of Prayer for Victims of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking is ‘Light to Life’, inspired by Exodus 3:2  ( NIV ): “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within the bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire, it did not burn up.” Did you know that 65 million people are enslaved around the world today; 64 per cent are women; and 56 per cent are trafficked for sexual exploitation? And, did you know that in 2024, The Salvation Army supported 14,552 survivors, ran 12,718 community awareness events, and supported 165,540 people vulnerable to modern slavery and human trafficking? READ MORE: Modern slavery still a scourge on society today The Salvation Army is deeply committed to fighting and responding to modern slavery and human trafficking. We have both a theological and historical mandate. Internationally, The Salvation Army's Freedom Action Framework outlines eight response areas, including prayer. The Salvation Army believes that prayer is foundational and an essential and powerful tool to fight for freedom and work towards a world free from exploitation. By praying together, our hearts are awakened and aligned with God’s desires, and we are empowered to respond to issues in our community with the love of Jesus. This day of prayer is an opportunity to pray in solidarity with those experiencing or recovering from modern slavery, and to be a part of the transformational work of God. READ MORE: A local response 140 years ago becomes a global strategy Resources The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters (IHQ) has made a range of resources available for download in various languages. These include: · Sermon guides · Adult Bible study · Children and youth resources · Global prayer guide and prayer station resource · Poster For all resources and more information, click here . Australian contacts If you would like further support in engaging in this event in your local corps or centre, please contact Major Melanie-Anne Holland (Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Response Territorial contact person). The Salvation Army’s Additional Referral Pathway  (ARP) is a way for people to access support if they have experienced exploitation known as modern slavery. No matter what your age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, culture, religion, or visa status, you have rights and can get help. If you need help, call the ARP on 1800 000 277. To report human trafficking or modern slavery in Australia, contact the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on 131 237  or use their online form to make a confidential report. In cases of immediate danger, dial triple zero (000).   Spot the signs Driven by poverty, conflict, persecution – and the global demand for cheap goods, labour and sex – modern slavery and human trafficking are thriving worldwide. Yes, even in your own community. Victims often can’t ask for help. They rely on others – on you – to notice the signs and speak out. Slavery is very much hidden in plain sight. And when you’re being controlled and exploited, you rely on other people to spot the signs.   Modern slavery describes situations where someone controls you or takes away your freedom and ability to make choices about your life, to gain profit or benefit. Modern slavery includes trafficking in persons, debt bondage, deceptive recruitment, forced labour, forced marriage, organ trafficking, servitude, sexual servitude and slavery.   Signs that you may be experiencing modern slavery include:  Being forced to work or provide services (in any type of job or industry) under threat or coercion, with little or no pay or under harsh conditions.   Not having control over the work you do, the services you provide or when you can stop working.   Not having control over other parts of your life, for example, when and where you can eat, sleep or rest, or if you can leave the place you are staying when you want to.  Being forced to work to pay off a debt, but the terms of the debt are unclear, or the work never ends.  Being tricked or trapped into work where the nature of the job is not what you were told it would be.   Being recruited or transported through force or deception, for the purpose of exploitation.  Being pressured, forced or tricked into getting married against your will, or getting married when underage.  To download The Salvation Army’s positional statement on modern slavery and human trafficking, click here .   To view the IHQ video Spot the Signs , click on the arrow below.

Anna Bardsley shares her story at the launch of The Salvation Army’s newly renamed Gambling Support Service. Lured by the glittering lights and hypnotic sounds of the poker machines, Melbourne resident Anna Bardsley clearly remembers her first solo visit to a gambling venue. That night would mark the beginning of a decade-long battle she never could have anticipated. What started as a place to escape soon spiralled into a consuming addiction that derailed her life. Now a passionate advocate for reform and raising awareness about gambling harm, Anna shared her powerful journey from addiction to activism with Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH . It was a cold and wet August night when a heated argument between Anna and her husband reached breaking point. Needing space to cool off, she left the house. It was late. Nothing was open, and she was too agitated to see anyone. As she drove around in the dead of the night, something caught her eye. An old haunt – a pub with poker machines where she occasionally visited for fun with friends. Anna stopped the car and walked in. That moment marked a major turning point in her life. “The lights had literally beckoned from the side of the road,” she recalled of that fateful night. “I knew that it was a safe place for women to go on their own ... it was the first time I had even been in a pub on my own, and the first time I had been to use poker machines on my own.” In the past, Anna and her friends had only played briefly, losing no more than $20. But this time, she stayed longer, lost more than she expected, and walked out feeling changed. “When I look back on that first night, the machines did what I had learned they were designed to do,” she said. “They are designed to calm you down and zone you out. They are designed by addiction experts to do what they did to  me . Years later, I realised I was not the problem. The machines are the problem.” Soon, the urge to use poker machines took hold. After work, Anna began detouring into venues. Shopping centres with the machines became dangerous territory. “You could feel the pull of the venue upstairs and down and around the corner,” she reflected. “I had to stop going to those sorts of shopping centres because they weren’t safe for me. I didn’t want to lose all the money. I didn’t want to lose all that time.” She tried to quit many times. “I tried to stop countless times because I hated what I was doing,” she said. “It wasn’t fun. I wasn’t there to win money. If I did win a bit, it just meant I could stay longer. Once I was in there, I couldn’t leave until I had nothing left, and so I would stay there ‘til forever.” By the time Anna walked away from gambling in 2011, she had spent 10 years battling the hidden addiction. “I tried to stop countless times because I hated what I was doing.” Now a passionate advocate educating others about gambling harm, she looks back on that August night as the moment that led to a decade-long struggle, one she successfully kept hidden from family and friends while juggling multiple jobs and managing household finances. Her personal story took centre stage at the recent Salvos launch of the newly renamed Gambling Support Service, where Anna shared her own recovery journey from addiction, advocacy work, and how gambling devastates lives and livelihoods.  The cost of her addiction was steep. It eroded her identity, and shame became all-encompassing. “My sense of self-worth was zero – it would be actually in the minus,” she said. “I thought I was a complete loser. I hated myself. I had tried so many times to stop that I thought the only way this is going to end is when I’m dead because I did not see that there was a way for me to be in control. The shame I felt about what I was doing was huge, and it encompassed every part of my life.” Gambling disconnected her from everything meaningful in her life. “I was pedalling like crazy, pretending I was fine,” the passionate advocate recalled. “And you can do that with gambling. There is no physical sign that you have that addiction present in your life.” Born in the Netherlands and raised in Australia, Anna grew up in a Dutch household where gambling simply didn’t exist. Her first encounter came in the 1970s, placing 50 cents on the Melbourne Cup. She lost and didn’t gamble again for decades. She never saw herself as a gambler. “I didn’t know that when I was using poker machines that I was gambling because nobody uses that language,” she said. “We call it playing the pokies. It’s not playing, it’s using a gambling product, and a product that is designed to addict. And so, if you spend enough time with it, it will get you in the end.” Anna says she ‘ learned the language of shame’ through a talk by Brené Brown. After years of struggling alone, Anna found hope in community, meeting others who had also experienced gambling harm. They shared insights she had never encountered. One key lesson stood out: the brain could be retrained. “I learned that if you ask your brain a question, it will go looking for an answer,” Anna remarked. “So, I asked the question, ‘How can I stop?’ And over a period of time, and it wasn’t easy, I found pieces of what I call the puzzle of the answer, and I was able to put those pieces in place. It took a lot of patience.” A crucial piece? Self-kindness. Her inner voice had become cruel and a bully, berating her as a loser. Quieting that voice changed everything. She reached out to Gambler’s Help, a free 24/7 support service and started therapy nearly two years after her last experience using the poker machines. Another turning point came from a talk by Brené Brown on shame. “I learned the language of shame,” Anna reflected. “She talked about addicts needing shame, like someone lost in the desert needs salt water. And I thought, Oh, wow, that’s true. And about bringing shame out into the light.” Joining a writing group led by Melbourne writer Arnold Zable, who works with marginalised groups of people, also proved pivotal. It introduced her to others affected by gambling and encouraged participants to explore their experiences – right down to the smells, sounds, and sights of the gambling environment. It unlocked vivid memories for Anna: going out that fateful August night, showering the next morning, and not being able to get the smell of coins off her hands. Staring into the mirror and asking, “Who the hell are you, and how did I become you?” Many in the writing group assumed they would use pseudonyms. Anna chose otherwise. She was ready to retire and knew that going public would likely end any future job prospects. Her first media appearance was national – on ABC News Breakfast . Her goal was not just to tell her story, but to change the way society talked about gambling.   “I wanted the language to be different,” she said. “I realised the language around gambling had made it worse ... and was deeply stigmatising. It made it impossible for me to ask for help. Because if I was the problem, I should fix myself. Gamble responsibly is an oxymoron. It is a contraction of responsible service of gambling. It is meant to be about people who serve gambling – not the people who use gambling." Then came a special opportunity. For those interested in obtaining a copy of the book, email Judy, Co-ordinator of Three Sides of the Coin:   javisar@sharc.org.au   The group was invited to present the book of their lived experiences,  From Ruin to Recovery , at the Melbourne Writers Festival. A dramatised reading at the festival, with the help of theatre director Catherine Simmons, led to the formation of  Three Sides of the Coin  – a platform for using theatre to tell stories by people harmed by gambling. Now aged in her mid-70s, Anna continues to speak out. She refuses to give another dollar to the gambling industry and consults with policymakers. Being a public speaker with the ReSPIN program is another important role, too. It assists those with lived experience of gambling harm to share their stories to mitigate the harms of gambling and bring positive change within the wider community. “Gambling is a con. You can’t win,” Anna emphasised. “The house always wins, and they pretend it’s fun. It’s not. It’s taking a massive amount of money out of people’s pockets, out of communities … I’ve met people whose family members have suicided because of gambling, and there is no coroner in Australia that counts the suicides.” Anna also co-founded  Gambling Harm Lived Experience Experts (GHLEE) . She lobbies politicians and warns of the growing normalisation of gambling among children, especially as gambling features in social media technology, including games. She fears it is raising generations who believe gambling is normal. She urges Australians to lobby their MPs, too, about gambling harm and reform. Looking ahead, Anna remains cautiously hopeful. “Most of the time I have hope,” she said. “I hope that something meaningful happens (regarding gambling harms) before I die. I’m 76 … but I’m not holding my breath.” “... you don’t have to be alone.” These days, Anna finds joy in spending time with her family. While her marriage ended, she is close to her children and grandchildren, who have supported her advocacy work. She also enjoys being with people, music, writing, gardening and places that make her see the world slightly differently. “I like spending time just looking at a flower … even a daisy. Daisies are amazing, and I love macro photography for that reason.” To anyone struggling with gambling, her advice is simple: Talk to someone you trust, seek professional help and persevere. “Look for the pieces of your puzzle – and add things back into your life because  gambling takes up so much head space and physical space.” And with a final piece of advice, Anna makes her message clear: “I want others to know – you don’t have to be alone.” READ MORE: Gambling Support Service – new name, same committed service

Majors Mark and Jo Bulow have been flying padres in Queensland for the past 14 years. With The Salvation Army set to mark 80 years of the Flying Padre Service, we feature the story of one couple who, 14 years ago, felt called by God to serve in the isolated Darling Downs region of Queensland. Majors Mark and Jo Bulow arrived on remote cattle stations and farming properties – first in helicopters, then later in a fixed-wing, four-seat Cessna 182 Skylane – bringing practical assistance and a caring, pastoral presence during many of the best and worst moments of rural life. BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE Major Mark Bulow is a Christian magician. I’m honest with him: I have absolutely no idea what that means. In my experience of Christian communities, many would consider this title an oxymoron. “I basically use magic tricks, but I use them to talk about the Gospel,” Mark says. “When we go around and do different events, I’ll take magic tricks for the kids and for the adults. I’ll do two or three secular tricks but then bring it around into a Christian faith message. “I’ve been doing that since I was 13 years old.” It isn’t the only seeming contradiction about Mark and his wife, Major Jo Bulow. They are self-described country people born and raised in rural Queensland, working a deeply practical, physical job which is, at its core, all about tending to the hearts of those battling to manage farms, weather changes and the turmoil of life in profoundly isolating circumstances. On an average day, this might look like handing out plyers and critiquing fences. “I’ve always grown up in the bush [and] feel very comfortable with farmers, understand the way they talk and that they’re very direct, which is how I speak,” Mark says.   “When we go to their properties and they’re having a bad day, I don’t get offended, because I know what it’s like to have a bad day.” Getting the Cessna ready for another visit to an Outback farm. Mark says on a recent visit, a farmer was having a particularly awful day. “I said [to him], ‘Your fences look like they need a bit of work, can I give you a good set of plyers to help?’ So, I gave him a set of good plyers. As we walked past his workshop,  I said, ‘I see you’ve got a good workshop, and I don’t know about you, but I have trouble with cutting things 100ml too short, so here’s a tape measure, that way you won’t make the same mistakes I did’, so he said, ‘Thanks! Oh well, you better come and have a cup of coffee’. “[We] seem to know how to connect with these people. I don’t get offended easy, and we just go in and get it done.” The Bulows fly together into rural properties, with Jo primarily caring for the women and Mark for the men. Despite undertaking pilot training before commencing, the transition to rural and remote chaplaincy was a fairly straightforward one for the couple, whose last shared appointment was as corps officers in Toowoomba, just an hour south-east of Dalby, where The Salvation Army hangar is located. “It was a natural transition, really,” Jo says. “We went from a country city to a smaller country town.” Mark and the helicopter he started with as a flying chaplain. When Mark started flying a Salvation Army helicopter in 2012, the Darling Downs was facing devastating flooding, with the Warrego River in Cunnamulla, Charleville and Roma breaking its banks, inundating homes and isolating residents. Mark describes ‘bunny-hopping’ across the river to help those who were stuck. But very soon after the floods, the region was plunged into a crushing eight-year drought. “The same people that were concerned about all the floods, next minute, the water turned off and [the land] went into this horrible drought,” Mark says. “Our own families were struggling.” Since the drought ended, Mark says the region has had several great seasons of plentiful produce, but many fear drought is on its way again. “It’s just the cycle of the bush, you know,” he says. “You get good seasons; you get bad seasons. You get terrible seasons with hail and the like. But they just have to prepare for that. The smart ones are already preparing for it.” Jo (centre) is at home chatting with farmers and locals in an Outback ‘watering hole’. Through the good and the bad, Mark and Jo are there with their Cessna, but most of all, with a listening ear. They said that during the drought, they flew to rural airstrips to chat over a kitchen table with those who were facing physical, mental or financial barriers to doing the things they once loved. For some, it was working with leather, for others, it was building model aircraft. Where needed, they would go and purchase the tools or equipment to ensure residents in isolated areas could maintain their hobbies despite the seemingly insurmountable challenge of farming with no rain. One woman loved sewing, but couldn’t afford to fix her broken sewing machine, so Mark says he and Jo flew the machine back to Dalby and paid to have it repaired. Country folk need face-to-face contact, Mark says. “We took it back out there with material and patterns, and then that allowed her just to get back to her happy place,” Mark says. For one of the couples the Bulows regularly visit, not only have they navigated flood and drought alongside one another, but Mark and Jo have been there for two of the most crucial moments in their lives. “We’ve had the joy of marrying [their] daughter, but we’ve also had the heartbreak of having to bury their son,” Mark says. Jo says she and Mark were the first people the couple called after their son died. “They didn’t know who else to ring,” she says. Mark says it takes a long time to build trust in the bush, and when you have it, it pays to visit regularly. “They know that if they’re in trouble [or] things are tough, that my phone is on 24/7 and I’ll pick it up, even if it’s at three in the morning, because for so many, it’s at three in the morning when the demons come and all those bad thoughts happen. “I say to them, ‘I don’t care where or what you’re doing. If you need me, you just give us a ring, and you know either of us will pick up our phones and we’re here to chat with you’.” Lunch can sometimes be ‘on the run’ on a landing strip somewhere in the Outback. Mark and Jo say that despite the shifts the Flying Padre Service has seen over the past 80 years, one thing remains unchanged: the purpose. “One thing that these farmers and any people in remote [areas] need is face-to-face contact,” he says. “Talking like we are over a cup of tea; it can never be replaced.” “You can put your hand on their shoulder and say, ‘Mate, you’ve got this’,” Jo says. Mark says what the flying padre can offer is like no other service out bush. “[Rural Australians] may ring up the other agencies, but they don’t know the people they’re talking to. Where they pick up the phone and they chat with Jo or I, they know us, and we can say, ‘Hey, listen, we’ll be out there tomorrow’.” READ MORE: Top End to host anniversary weekend

Salvos Online  continues a new weekly column – Three Books. Today’s guest bookworm is Andrea Redford, who is a journalist with The Salvation Army Kidzone team. Besides the gospels and Psalms, which is your favourite book in the Bible and why? Job . It’s famous for its storyline of unimaginable suffering and grief, but Job is my favourite read in the Bible for a few other reasons. There’s so much to learn from the complex portrayal of friendship, and Job’s meditation on wisdom (chapter 28) is worth a read all on its own. What really makes Job special for me, though, is its depiction of an up-close and personal God who is not afraid to muck through the ‘uglier’ side of our emotions and thoughts with us. Throughout the story, God and Job go toe-to-toe. Job tells God exactly what he’s feeling and thinking. He doesn’t hold back how angry he is and how unfair he thinks he’s been treated. And God is up for all of it. Every last bit. Reading Job has taught me that approaching God doesn’t require a well-thought-out, three-point prayer with a considered opening and a neat closing (not that God minds those either). Yet Job’s forthrightness and honesty is rewarded with such a direct and transformational encounter with God that he’s left saying, “I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes” (chapter 42, verse five NLT). Besides the Bible, what is a Christian book that has strongly influenced your faith? Soul Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church by Philip Yancey had a huge impact on me in my early 20s. In fact, I think it’s high time for a re-read. The book is Yancey’s story of “searching for a faith that works”, along with the stories of 13 “unlikely mentors” whose remarkable lives shaped his own spiritual journey. Some of these Yancey interviews himself (Annie Dillard and Dr Paul Brand), while others he encounters through their own writing (G.K. Chesterton, Shusaku Endo, Leo Tolstoy). Soul Survivor is like one good friend introducing you to many more. The main reason it remains high on my list of favourite books after 20 years is because it was here that Yancey introduced me to Henri Nouwen and Frederick Buechner (both of whom he interviews). I’d never heard of either writer before reading Soul Survivor , but I’ve since gone on to read all their books, and my faith has never been the same. What is a secular book that has revealed to you a Christian message or theme? I’m going to cheat a little here and name a whole series, rather than just one book:  the Armand Gamache series by Canadian author Louise Penny (also sometimes called The Three Pines series). These are mystery/detective novels mostly set in a tiny Canadian village and centring around Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec. Each instalment is a great read, but it’s very much a series where you come for the mystery but stay for the characters. These are the books I’ve recommended most to family and friends and haven’t (yet!) heard a bad word. Themes of faith and spirituality don’t dominate the series, but they’re there. Wisdom is sprinkled throughout the pages, often taking the form of protagonist Gamache’s dialogue. Gamache wrestles with questions of faith and doubt, and good versus evil. Penny shines a light on the best and worst of humanity and, for me, her observations on human nature are often worth underlining (or a second, third or fourth read, at the very least). The series is rich in themes of community, sacrifice, loyalty, forgiveness, redemption, brokenness and healing and offers readers a lot more than simply discovering whodunnit.

Sam O'Connor MP (Qld Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth) and Commissioner Miriam Gluyas (Territorial Commander) unveil the plaque at the official opening of the Toowoomba social housing project.   “The Snell Street development is a testament to what can be achieved when community, compassion and purpose come together,” said Major Mark Everitt, Queensland Divisional Commander, at the official opening of the new social housing project in Toowoomba.   “This isn’t just housing – it’s a place where lives will be changed in Jesus’ name,” Mark continued. “We’re grateful to partner with the Queensland Government to bring hope and stability to those who need it most in Toowoomba.” An artist’s impression of the completed Salvos Housing project in Toowoomba. Territorial Commander Commissioner Miriam Gluyas officially opened the new social housing complex in Toowoomba, approximately 125km west of Brisbane, on Tuesday 9 September. The project ultimately reflected The Salvation Army’s mission and vision , she added. A collaboration between the Queensland Government, The Salvation Army and generous donors, this new complex will house 23 families who would otherwise be at risk of being homeless. The Snell Street site was previously the home of the local Salvation Army’s Family Store and is now being repurposed in an attempt to combat the ever-growing homelessness issue in and around Toowoomba.  Captain Aaron Reid (Toowoomba Corps Officer), Anne Bell (SA Housing, Property Assistant) and Major Mark Everitt (Queensland Divisional Commander). “Today we celebrate the opening of a $17 million social housing community delivering 23 modern homes right here in Toowoomba,” said Mark. “It has been a dream of The Salvation Army to better utilise this site, and the significant funds provided by the Queensland State Government have allowed us to now see people with a permanent, secure roof over their heads.   “The Salvation Army is grateful to the Queensland Government in helping make this project a reality.” The homes consist of 19 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom units, designed specifically for comfort, dignity and connection. Built by McNab Constructions, a long-standing supporter of the Salvos, with tenanting – now completed – managed jointly by Salvos Housing and the Queensland Government.     “This unique Salvos partnership between Toowoomba Corps and Salvos Housing brings church, community and housing together on one site,” said Rendle Williams, External Communications Manager for Queensland. Commissioner Miriam Gluyas spoke about community at the official opening of the social housing project. “The corps worked with Salvos Housing to transition the land so it could be developed for social housing in partnership with government. The project proceeded through Queensland’s Partnering for Growth program with 50/50 government funding, showing what’s possible when mission and government align.    “The ground-floor community care space is embedded in the building and leased back to the corps at no cost, so residents and neighbours can access support, programs and community right where they live. “Additionally, one of the benefits of this facility is that one third of the people moving in are downsizing, releasing family-sized homes to others on the social housing list.” Rendle Williams, Anne Bell, Cheri Erai-Collins and Captain Aaron Reid at the official opening. Forever homes Mark spoke about the housing supply crisis and the need for “organisations like The Salvation Army to do what they can to increase the supply of affordable housing options around the state.   “We’re excited to finally open this wonderful facility and welcome deserving locals to move into their new forever home,” he said.   Captain Aaron Reid, Toowoomba Corps Leader, spoke about how “wonderful” it was to see the development complete after so much dreaming, planning and effort.   “The impact it will have in providing much-needed social and affordable housing is truly significant. We’re hopeful that we, the Toowoomba Salvation Army, will be able to walk alongside these new residents, offering ongoing support, connection, and care as they settle into their new homes.”   Chris Karagiannis, Salvation Army Housing CEO, said that the Snell Street development was “more than bricks and mortar – it’s a symbol of hope for the Toowoomba community. It shows what can be achieved when we work together to meet real needs with compassion and purpose. This project will strengthen lives, families, and neighbourhoods for years to come.”   Those in attendance at the official opening also included Sam O’Connor, Queensland Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth; and Cheri Erai-Collins, State Manager, Salvation Army Housing. Cheri Erai-Collins, Salvation Army Housing Qld/NSW State Manager, speaks to the media about the new housing project.

Otway TentCare, launched late last year by Colac Salvos in partnership with Vinnies Colac and Blue Sky Outdoor Experts, has been an overwhelming success , giving real hope to those experiencing long-term homelessness through the provision of free quality tents. BY LERISSE SMITH What started as a single call-out for a tent in Victoria’s Colac community to assist a person desperately needing shelter has exploded into a nationwide movement. Otway TentCare, launched late last year by Colac Salvos in partnership with Vinnies Colac and Blue Sky Outdoor Experts, is giving real hope to those experiencing long-term homelessness. It all began with a simple act of kindness – a call-out to assist someone in desperate need. But no one imagined that one request for shelter would grow into a powerhouse of compassion and collaboration. Now, a year on, the response has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. Tents have poured in from across the country, including Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia, far beyond what anyone could have imagined. “We ran out of room!” remarked Josiah Van Niekerk, Colac Corps Leader. “We would be easily sitting on over 600 pieces of camping equipment, and about 400 of those are just tents.” The gear isn’t just stored. It is sorted, assessed, repaired, and when needed, repurposed. Damaged tents are not discarded; they are stripped for useful parts like poles and zippers to refurbish others. Nothing goes to waste. And not wasting anything is the top priority for the project that began with humble beginnings. Josiah says the Otway Tentcare project has far exceeded expectations, with tents pouring in from across the country. Photo courtesy of ABC News: Emily Bissland Born out of a simple Facebook post by former Colac Salvos volunteer and support worker Susan Perkins, who had been prompted to put out a call for tents on Facebook as a client was facing homelessness without a suitable shelter, the worker asked for a simple request: If anyone had spare tents. The reaction to her post was immediate and powerful. About 40 people stepped up offering to donate tents. Seeing the flood of responses, Josiah offered to get involved. The pair then quickly discovered that many of the donated tents were not in working order, so he got creative. He approached Blue Sky Outdoor Experts in Colac, and the owner agreed to generously donate multi-room tents to the cause. The larger tents were not just bigger – they gave people back a sense of dignity. Josiah said these larger tents offered much more dignity to those facing long-term homelessness due to substance addiction or mental health concerns than a standard single-room tent. He said the problem of long-term homelessness was so complex that it required creative solutions. A key to Otway TentCare’s success has been community collaboration. Several Colac institutions have stepped in, offering both manpower and enthusiasm. “The only way that we can have any sort of lasting impact at the scale that is needed in the community is to collaborate well with that community,” Josiah said. “So, we collaborate really well with the 3rd and 4th Colac Scouts, the Colac Secondary College, Saints College Colac and Colac South West Primary School. The young people have all been fixing tents for a homelessness epidemic throughout the Barwon region.” And that epidemic is growing. A survey three years ago found 320 people without a home in the Colac region. Today, Josiah says, that figure is “well and truly over 400.” The TentCare team now hand out a fully equipped tent every week. It’s a lifeline for many coming from nearby Geelong down to Colac because they have no options for safe camping. “We are able to keep on top of it,” Josiah commented. “We are nearly at the point now where we can start accepting donations of tents and camping equipment again.” Generosity keeps rolling in, too. The Salvation Army’s Josiah Van Niekerk and Peter Gavan, owner of Blue Sky Outdoor, with donated tents.  Photo courtesy of ABC News: Emily Bissland The local Quilting Association recently donated a substantial sum, helping improve storage and management of the growing inventory. The team has now started delivering gear across the state. “We have the means to be able to do a bit of a run around the state and do some drop-offs,” Josiah said. “So that might be something we do every six months, or so. We will just do a big run, get on top of our tents, send out a message to everyone and say, ‘Hey, do you need tents? Or reach out to us.’ It really is an exciting time for us as we see our community supporting a larger need.” More than 400 people have no home in the Colac region. The TentCare team now hand out a fully equipped tent every week. It’s proving a lifeline for many, including those coming from nearby Geelong down to Colac, due to having no safe options for safe camping. Photo: Bernd Dittrich on unsplash

The Kyabram Thrift Shop team (from left) Manager Carmel Phillips and volunteers Lauren Gillie, Kim Mellis, Jo Blyth, Lisa Stow and Paul Marshall.  (Photo courtesy of Jemma Jones, Kyabram Free Press). BY LERISSE SMITH When fire tore through Kyabram Salvos Thrift Shop in May this year, it could have ended a decade of service to the community – but instead, a vibrant new temporary home has risen from the ashes. Just three months after the deliberately lit blaze shattered the Goulburn Valley community in northern Victoria, the shop team has rallied and reopened in an interim location, the vacant Kyabram Salvation Army church located at the rear of the burned-out building in Unitt St. Now transformed into a bustling pop-up store, the space has reunited the close-knit community after the sudden loss of their much-loved shop, which served Kyabram for 10 years. “We are actually bursting at the seams!” said Carmel Phillips, Kyabram Thrift Shop Manager. “We have got so much stock, and because the space is smaller, we have nowhere to put it all. So, we have started to have a few sales just to keep it moving. The support and kindness from the community has been incredible. The fire was a big loss. The volunteers were devastated. It was more than a shop; it was a place to connect. The shop meant a lot – it was a real hub where people came for bargains or knick-knacks and felt part of the community. It was the largest thrift store in the area.” Ceiling damage from the fire. Since opening five weeks ago, the temporary shop has drawn in volunteers from both Kyabram and Rochester, working side by side to serve the community, with the teamwork forging a special bond. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, a team of volunteers commuted to Rochester for nearly two months to keep them involved in store operations, with Rochester now returning the favour at the Unitt premises. New friendships blossomed during the eight weeks spent together at Rochester, with a deeper connection quickly formed between the two stores. But soon, the Kyabram community started asking: “When is our store coming back?” That simple question then lit the spark for an exciting new venture. Carmel, together with Majors Greg and Lynne Turnbull, Corps Officers at Campaspe Shire Salvos, took a look just behind the burned-out site at the unused Salvation Army church building, and saw potential for a temporary store. Permission was granted, and within two weeks, a Facebook post announced the new pop-up shop. The response? Immediate and overwhelming. Donations poured in. Stock also arrived from Rochester and Echuca stores to help out. “It was really amazing,” recalled Carmel. “Everyone just got involved. We probably spent a good week, weekends too, getting everything ready. Despite the devastation, the corps and community have really come together. Greg and Lynne have been great supporters.” With Aaron Rausch, Salvos Thrift Shop Business Consultant, Divisional Governance, sourcing racks, benches and shelves, and volunteers turning the back section of the interim premises into a sorting zone, the church space quickly evolved. And its location, right next door to Salvos Doorways, adds even more value – clients seeking support can now pop into the store too. Additional features include a cosy community corner that now welcomes anyone needing a cuppa, a chat, or simply a quiet moment. Support from Greg, Lynne and Aaron behind the scenes has helped keep things running smoothly for the team, too. The local community has generously donated an array of items from clothing to bric-a-brac to establish the interim premises. For Lisa Stow, a long-time volunteer at Kyabram’s store, seeing the interim premises so warmly embraced by the local residents has been a huge morale boost for the dedicated team. “The community love it,” she said. “They are all just happy we have opened up and they can come in. They have been asking, ‘When is the new shop coming?’” Word of mouth and the local media have played a vital role in bringing the regulars back to the Unitt St premises, in a community grappling with the cost of living. The store draws in people from all walks of life, from young families to locals from diverse backgrounds, even seasonal tomato pickers. The store has provided community support for them, and been a safety net, a lifesaver for them, Carmel added. And despite losing their beloved store, with no timeline yet for the much-anticipated rebuild due to the presence of asbestos, the spirit in Kyabram remains unshaken. “It’s a place where it doesn’t matter who you are – we talk to everybody,” Carmel emphasised. “That is the difference with the Salvo store. It puts us in our own unique little corner. Because of what we give to them, they give back. The volunteers and community know they have not been forgotten. We are back here – and that is the important thing. We are supporting each other.”

The Salvation Army’s Bindy Lupis (centre back) with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation team of volunteers and the Buddy Bags. BY LERISSE SMITH   A simple random email has ignited a lifeline of comfort for children experiencing trauma.   A powerful new partnership between The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) and the Alannah and Madeline Foundation will provide vital support and comfort to many children who have been impacted by trauma.   This collaboration has been made possible through the Foundation’s ‘Buddy Bags’ program, developed for vulnerable children across Australia who are experiencing crisis, trauma, or just doing it tough.   The bags are special: quality backpacks carefully designed to help meet immediate material and personal care needs of vulnerable children, and to give them a sense of security and comfort as the first step on their journey to safety and recovery.   With the Victorian SAES team attending an alarmingly high number of single-incident house fires across the state, these bags will provide vital comfort and care to children – not only those impacted by house fires, but by natural disaster events too.   “Often there are kids who have just lost everything,” said Bindy Lupis, SAES National Response Manager.    “So, straight away, the buddy bags will be used heaps within Melbourne – and the team are stoked. I was able to share that with the Foundation and its volunteers. There have been many times in my different roles [that] I have supported families and children experiencing crisis and trauma. So, this is something very close to my heart. I can picture kids who will be getting this bag.   “It doesn’t give them back everything they have lost in their house or make everything better as they sit in an evacuation centre following a flood or cyclone. These kids have lost everything. But if you can hand them a bag with a teddy, a book, a few comforts, it tells that kid that they are seen, and they are heard, and they are loved, and it tells the parents that too. Often it helps the parents just as much as the kid.”   A single random email sparked the exciting new partnership.   Late last year, Bindy and the Salvos’ Emergency Aid and Development General Manager, Daryl Crowden, received a random email from The Salvation Army Corporate Partnerships department regarding their corporate partner, the National Australia Bank. The bank is a supporter of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, and the charity wanted to know if their Buddy Bags could be used within the emergency services work.   It was a quick yes from Bindy as she knew they could find homes for them in evacuation centres or similar settings.    But as time passed, the email conversation faded into the background until, suddenly, everything moved swiftly a few months later.   “All of a sudden, we received this email to say we (the charity) are packing 200 bags for you!” Bindy recalled.   A request then quickly followed – for someone to jump online to say thank you to the corporate volunteers who were packing them.   But Bindy had other plans.   Being in Melbourne, she informed them she would love to visit in person. It then led to meeting a group of corporate volunteers from Choice Hotels who were packing the bags at the Alannah and Madeline city premises, and the opportunity to share with them and the Foundation team the vital work of the emergency services, including the many house fires they attend throughout the year, including 16 in one week recently. The visit was an amazing experience, she remarked.    Each backpack is filled with carefully selected items that focus on the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of children and young people, including new pyjamas, underwear, a toothbrush, a book, a trauma-informed toy – and an all-important teddy bear to cuddle for emotional comfort.    The 200 Salvos Buddy Bags for children aged 0 to 16 are all packed and ready to go, with most in Melbourne to be used by the emergency services team for logistical purposes.   But their reach is growing.   A few boxes have already been sent to North Queensland, with the WA team expressing interest. When the opportunity arises via courier or vehicle transportation, the Victorian team plans to distribute some around the country. They will also be used in evacuation centres and recovery centres during disasters.   However, many of them will be used to support children impacted by house-fire incidents in Melbourne, a unique aspect of the emergency services role in the community.   Feedback from frontline service personnel who have already distributed several Buddy Bags at house-fire incidents has been powerful.   “It was a blessing for the child – and the family that received it,” Bindy explained.   “It was that excited moment in the middle of chaos, in the middle of a really awful night, that there was still this little moment of joy. Kids are still kids. And even in the middle of tragedy, they can get excited about something; their face lights up at a toy and a gift. It doesn’t change the tragedy, but there is that moment where you get a smile, you get a little light of a face, you get this little brief moment. So, it was really special.”   For the team members, the provision of the bags has been a much-needed gift as they often can feel really helpless amidst tragic situations, Bindy added, and often found themselves scrounging to find comfort gifts for children. But they have purchased colouring books, toiletry packs and other items – an amazing act of service.   “I think the relief for them (SAES team) to be able to just go, here is this beautiful bag of stuff that’s already been prepared, it was a real gift for them too,” Bindy remarked.   “And so, they then leave feeling a little bit better about what they have been able to give. Those little moments of joy that you see in the middle of, for some families, their worst night ever. To be able to have that little moment, I think, is really special. And there has been a few of those moments recently, which is really beautiful.”   Erin Mains, Assistant Response Coordinator in Victoria, recently gave buddy bags to a 13-year-old girl and her eight-year-old brother following a house fire at 2.30am. Erin texted Bindy later that day to say, “they were excited to get toothpaste!” and that their reaction to the bags was “gorgeous”.   A special mission is on the horizon, too.   Bindy would love the SAES team to spend a day with the Alannah and Madeline team to help pack the bags.   “I would welcome and love the opportunity to do anything we can to support them the same way they have supported us,” she said.   “Because ultimately, both of us – The Salvation Army and Foundation – have, as our priority and goal, the community member, that kid, that family in front of us, who need to know they are cared for, and they are loved and they are seen. To bring some hope into this really dark place. So, if we can work together on that, it would be great.”