The Self Denial Appeal 2026 begins next week! ( Sunday 15 February). This year’s theme is ‘Motivated by Love’ - a love that reflects Christ, takes action and reaches across borders. As we give, we are called to do so with courage, strength and unwavering faith – not out of duty, but from a deep love for others and for God’s Kingdom.  This year’s series takes us to Malawi, Sri Lanka, Rwanda and Fiji, where we’ll see how past Self Denial giving is already making a real difference – helping girls stay in school, providing clean water, opening up job opportunities for young people, and giving boys in need a safe and caring place to call home. To find out more and donate, click here .

1. What is your current appointment, and what do you find most satisfying about it?     My husband and I have the absolute privilege and pleasure of being appointed to the Lockyer Valley Corps in South East Queensland. We are based in the town of Gatton, and it truly is the Promised Land! I’m sure many wouldn’t agree with that statement, but for Rick and me, it really is our patch of paradise. Rural farming land surrounds the little townships we minister in. We have a wonderfully supportive church family, and ministering in these communities is simply the best! You are part of the community; you are known in the community, and that opens up so many doors of opportunity.   Small communities often have great networks and opportunities for collaboration. We don’t enjoy the availability of support services that are available in many larger places, so we have to think outside the box, get talking and try to solve or at least alleviate the immediate need for those who are in difficulty. It is challenging and often frustrating, but a privilege to walk alongside those who need our support. Great relationships are formed across the communities, and we all benefit when we work together.   God continues to open up doors into all sorts of places and spaces and we are enjoying seeing people grow in faith, gaining a hunger for the Word and living authentically for Jesus. This truly is the best part of ministry! I’m not sure what God has in store for 2026, but we know it is going to be great!  As we say in this part of the world … LV (Lockyer Valley) is the place to be!   2. Away from the appointment – if that’s possible! – what do you do to relax or unwind?     I am a certified LEGO ‘enthusiast’. I love building LEGO, so sitting down to a new build with a pot of tea is a great way to relax and take my mind off things. Currently, in this season of ministry, our family and some of our great friends are fairly close in distance, so being able to spend time with them is a blessing we don’t take for granted. Spending time with my favourite people in person or over the phone will always be the best way to relax and unwind. It fills my cup full to overflowing being able to sit and share a cuppa with great mates, play a game of Euchre with my parents, see my sisters and their families on special occasions, and generally share moments together we haven’t been able to do when the distance has been too great. God has blessed me with some of the best people to do life with, and when we can, we lap it up, get refuelled and refreshed until we can do it all again and if it can be near a beach … even better!   3. What’s a favourite Christian song and why do you like it?     This could be controversial … I really don’t listen to music regularly! This can make planning for our worship meeting difficult at times! I guess when I think about music that has impacted my life and has truly evoked a response deep within my heart, I can’t go past He Giveth More Grace , Song 30 in our songbook. Perhaps an unusual choice when we have so many songs to choose from; however, this song, like no other, has brought me to tears and has been a reminder in both joy-filled and difficult seasons that God’s abundant love and grace are mine. I am never lacking where Jesus is concerned. The final verse is an absolute beauty.   His love has no limits, his grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men For out of his infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, He giveth and giveth again!   I so relate to the lyrics of this entire song. I can see my life and my life experiences woven through the lyrics. God has indeed been generous to me, and has given me more grace, more strength, more mercy and more peace when I have needed it. Not only given … but swamped me with an overwhelming tidal wave of provision that has kept me going in days where my ‘resources’ were completely gone. It’s definitely an old song, but the words still ring true today and will continue to for the years to come.   4. If you could have a good talk with a biblical character apart from Jesus, who would it be and what would you talk about?     This is a really difficult question ... there are so many people I’d love to talk to! Conversations with the ‘big names’ in Scripture would be awesome, but I would also like to chat to those who encountered Jesus or had their lives transformed by the gospel, and we heard no more about their life. The woman at the well, the Philippian jailer who was going to end his life when Paul and Silas were freed from their cell by an earthquake, the man who was at the pool of Bethesda ... so many people, often unnamed, whose lives testify to God’s redemptive grace. I guess I’d just love to sit with some of those people and listen to their life story ... they may not be named, yet their transformation and life story would still be a beautiful testimony to listen to.   5. If you were talking to a group of Salvationists and they asked if you recommended officership or not, what would you say?     Ask me that question 25 years ago, and I would have said ‘NO WAY!’ Simply because that was my biggest fear ... signing up to follow Jesus as a Salvation Army officer was NEVER in my plans! And yet God called ... and that call was undeniable. I have no doubt that officership is God’s plan for me, and if it is God’s plan for you, I encourage you to embrace it with everything you have! The temptation to run from this calling was great, but being in the centre of God’s will is where we all need to be, even when it seems an unlikely choice. I love being a corps officer! At times, the days are long and overwhelming, and yet I have a deep peace knowing that even on the most difficult of days, this is the space God has called me into. Seventeen years in, I am still so very thankful that I walk this journey, that God called me; uniquely created to share the love and joy found in Jesus! God has reminded me time and time again that I lack nothing. He has and will continue to equip me with all I need. I’m so glad the fear I felt about ‘officership’ was eroded by the beautiful assurance that this was God’s path for me ... and if it is yours also, be encouraged that it’s an amazing journey of growth, love, grace, chaos and unpredictability. It’s a cracker of a journey, and I’m glad it’s mine! More information on Salvation Army officership can be found here .

Salvation Army teams are providing assistance as floods ravage parts of Mozambique. The Salvation Army is providing emergency relief in Mozambique after heavy and prolonged rainfall caused severe flooding across southern and central regions of the country. To supplement government efforts, The Salvation Army mobilised support in Maputo Province through local churches. Salvation Army officers and soldiers collected and distributed food items and clothing to flood-affected families in Matola and Katembe, providing practical assistance and encouragement during this difficult period.  Emergency response training  The Salvation Army’s response was particularly strong due to the training conducted in May 2025. The International Emergency Services PREPARE (Prepare to Respond to Emergencies – Planning and Readiness) training enabled local leaders in Mozambique to act quickly, organise distributions and engage communities effectively.   While these local efforts brought meaningful relief, many communities across the country continue to face food insecurity, loss of income and increased vulnerability. This is particularly apparent among children and older people, for whom these tough conditions can be very challenging. As climate-related disasters become more frequent, the need for continued humanitarian support and strengthened community resilience remains critical.  Ongoing support  The Salvation Army is continuing its efforts through a ‘Rapid Response’ initiative funded by International Emergency Services. It is also working alongside national and local partners to support 300 families with immediate life-saving items, including food (beans, rice, sugar and cooking oil) and hygiene products such as soap, sanitary pads, water buckets and water purification tablets.  The situation in Mozambique is ongoing. It will take a lot of time and effort to rebuild these communities from both a practical and emotional point of view. The Salvation Army asks you to keep all those affected in your prayers. Story courtesy The Salvation Army International website .

Madame Chiang Kai-Shek in 1943, and the excerpt of her article in the War Cry in 1975. (Photo credit: The White House Historical Association - Library of Congress) BY BARRY GITTINS The Salvation Army is an apolitical, nonpartisan group that once referred to its members as ‘comrades’ engaged in a movement.   Whether you prefer to see ‘the Salvos’ as a church or a denomination, or a para-church body, an NGO (non-government organisation) or a FBO (faith-based organisation), a social welfare campaigner, a not-for-profit corporation competing for government contracts, a tireless advocate for the underprivileged, or all of the above, the general principle remains that The Salvation Army does not mess with party politics or push any political candidate or side.   That doesn’t stop some strange bedfellows from appearing in Australian Salvation Army publications from time to time.   In the 31 May 1975 edition of its national newspaper, the War Cry , The Salvation Army carried the self-written life story and testimony of ‘Madame Chiang Kai-shek’.   She was the second wife of her hubby, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek; the rebel, general and politician who led the Republic of China (ROC) until his death in April 1975. (The revolutionary had headed up the Allied forces in China as ‘supreme commander of the Chinese theatre’ during WW2 and had ruled China on the mainland, and then led the ROC in exile on Taiwan when the Communists booted him out in 1949.)   The article where Madame Chiang shared her conversion to Christianity. Choosing to publish copy from the former leader’s missus, a month after the generalissimo’s death, was both a controversial and a political decision, if perhaps unintentional or naïve on The Salvation Army’s part. (Like other Christian groups, the Salvos had also been kicked out by the Communists and lamented their forced departure.)   Being seen as maintaining the enmity towards communist China was an odd stance for a non-political group like the Salvos, considering the geo-political shift ‘Down Under’.   In 1971, four years before the article’s publication, the then opposition leader Gough Whitlam toured ‘the People’s Republic of China’ and the next year, as Prime Minister, Whitlam duly ‘recognised’ China diplomatically (US president Richard Nixon had done the same earlier that year).   Whitlam made another visit there in 1973, the first time an Australian PM had made the journey into what had formerly been enemy territory in the Cold War.   After Whitlam was sacked in November 1975, six months after that War Cry article, in November 1975, his successor as prime minister, Malcolm Fraser, continued to mend Australia’s fences with China.   So, what was Madame Chiang Kai-Shek writing about? Ostensibly setting the scene as the daughter of Christian missionaries who’d been forced as a child “to listen to very long sermons”, the writer shared her conversion to Christianity while describing her husband’s struggles “against the intimidation of Japanese aggression, [an] internal revolt in China and … hunger [caused by] the Yellow River floods”.   For many years, she wrote, “Mr Chiang and I worked closely together to build a united, modern China.” While the Madam was revered in US evangelical circles, many international media outlets and historians described her as a pitiless politician. The Los Angeles Times obituary described her as “Madame Dictator … ruthless, corrupt and unmoved by the miseries of the Chinese people.”   Being an apolitical organisation does not stop groups from swimming in murky waters, and the expression of faith – in and of itself, a thing of joy – does not mean the living of that expressed faith.   It brings to mind the words of Jesus himself, who had hoped that his followers would be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

Salvation Army teams have been on the ground in Jamaica since Hurricane Melissa struck three months ago. Jamaica struggles after Hurricane Melissa Three months after Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica on 28 October, 2025, this Caribbean island remains a landscape of devastation.   The first Category 5 storm ever to strike the island damaged infrastructure to the extent that it reshaped entire communities, erased livelihoods, and left entire towns across western Jamaica facing a prolonged humanitarian crisis.   In places once known for gently rolling farmland, fishing harbors, and small but vibrant town centres, the terrain has been transformed. Houses lie flattened beneath mounds of rubble. Commercial blocks where shops, clinics, and microbusinesses once operated are now empty shells or foundations exposed to the sky. Roads once lined with vendors and schoolchildren are carved through debris fields, broken concrete, and the twisted remnants of roofs.   Amid this devastation, The Salvation Army has remained a consistent source of relief and stability. Teams continue to serve communities across the island, drawing on the organisation's 29 service centres that were already embedded in remote and hard-to-reach areas before the storm.   Their response began immediately after Melissa made landfall and has continued steadily into the new year. As of January 2026, The Salvation Army had reached more than 212,000 people with emergency assistance, including 131,000 meal kits, 66,000 hot meals, 9000 food parcels, 27,000 bottles of drinking water, and 25,000 hygiene kits. These supplies have helped stabilise households whose farms, shops, and livelihoods were erased.   Click on the video below to read the stories of six people whose lives and communities were reshaped by the storm and learn how each of them is attempting to rebuild in the face of overwhelming loss, with Salvation Army support. This story and video courtesy The Salvation Army World Service Office . Ukrainians serve in bitter cold The morning of 3 February was especially difficult for Ukraine after a major attack on key civilian infrastructure. Critical services such as electricity, central heating and water supply facilities in Kyiv and Kharkiv came under intense attack, coinciding with temperatures that plummeted to -19°C.   Many civilians have lost their homes as a result of this attack.   “Please remember The Salvation Army in Ukraine in your thoughts and prayers as we assist civilians, especially the most vulnerable, to endure these inhumane conditions,” say Ukraine Divisional Leaders, Majors Irina and Konstanyn Shvab.      Hope and safety beyond the brothels The Salvation Army in Bangladesh operates a support program near Jashore’s brothels to help vulnerable and exploited women and children who are exiting cycles of abuse. One such woman, Saanvi*, was sold into sexual exploitation by her abusive husband and later forced to raise her daughter, Ishra*, in the brothel. Tragically, Ishra was also drawn into the sex trade at a young age. With ongoing support from The Salvation Army, Saanvi eventually left the brothel but sadly passed away soon after. Inspired by her mother’s courage, Ishra sought help, started her own grocery store and began rebuilding her life with assistance from the program. Since 2021, The Salvation Army has emphasised local ownership of its initiatives, engaging women, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify solutions to exploitation. They have supported 35 women in leaving brothels, with many receiving training in skills such as tailoring and small-business management. The program also provides safe spaces for children living in brothels, offering education, creative activities and nutritious meals, while raising awareness about social issues such as child marriage and human trafficking in the broader community. Saanvi and Ishra’s stories reflect both the immense challenges faced by women and children in exploitation and the hope that The Salvation Army continues to bring through its work in Jashore. .Learning new skills gives exploited young women an opportunity to rebuild their lives. This story is courtesy The Salvation Army World Service Office .   Designing life in Poland Young people from The Salvation Army in Warsaw, Poland, recently got together to participate in the ‘Design for Life’ program. “This is a unique time when we get to know ourselves, our talents and our calling in life better,” the group shared. “Thanks to our guest from Germany, Major Matthias Lindner, who led this event. We now wish everyone the best opportunities to use their talents.”  Youth respond to the ‘Design for Life’ program in Warsaw.   Back to school in Southern Africa The Back to School campaign is in full swing in the Southern Africa Territory, with school uniforms, shoes and other supplies being given to disadvantaged schools in the Eastern Cape and Eastern KwaZulu Natal divisions. For many children, this simple gift means walking into the classroom with confidence, pride and hope for a brighter future.   Being properly equipped for school enables students to study, learn and develop.

Salvation Army workers at the frontline caring, counselling and catering for community members in need.   In his role as the Café Supervisor at Melbourne Project 614, Matthew Daniels sees many people from all walks of life come into The Salvation Army’s centre on Bourke St – mostly those doing it tough and struggling to make ends meet. They are often desperate souls seeking help, and greeting them are a special type of Salvo – our frontline workers. In this Viewpoint, MATTHEW DANIELS offers a word of encouragement for these workers.   There are weeks in this work that feel heavier than others.   Not because something dramatic happened. Not because there was a crisis that made headlines. But because the accumulation of stories, needs and human complexity quietly pressed. This past week felt like one of those weeks.   There was a moment that stayed with me. Over the course of this week, three individuals came into the café at Project 614 seeking accommodation.   That, in itself, isn’t unusual. People presenting with housing needs have been part of this space for a long time. What felt different was who they were and how they presented.   Each person carried a complex story. Each situation required patience, discernment, and presence. None of it fit neatly into a policy box.   And then there was a moment on Friday, toward the end of the day, that stopped me.   All three individuals were in the café at the same time. Each was sitting with a different staff member. Three conversations, three vulnerable people, three workers fully present.   Nothing dramatic. No spotlight. No applause.   Just people showing up.   Standing there, watching that unfold, I was struck by how rare and significant that moment actually was. The cafe at Melbourne Project 614 on a normal weekday. The woman at the well   There’s a story in the Christian tradition about a woman who meets Jesus at a well.   In simple terms, she was someone society had already written off. She carried a history that made her an outsider, and she avoided public spaces. Society had already decided she didn’t matter. Her story was known, judged, and reduced. She came to the well at a time of day when she wouldn’t have to see anyone because being unseen felt safer.   And yet Jesus met her there.   He didn’t fix her circumstances in an instant. He didn’t tidy her life into something respectable. What he did was see her. He spoke to her. He listened. He gave her dignity, purpose, and voice.   In a world that had made her invisible, she was treated as somebody.   I see echoes of that story in this space [working on the frontline with The Salvation Army] all the time.   People arrive carrying labels long before they carry hope. They’ve been defined by systems, failures, diagnoses and histories. And sometimes the most powerful thing we offer isn’t a solution. It is recognition.   We see people, we listen, we honour stories that are messy and unresolved. That matters more than we probably realise.   Moses and the bush   Another story that comes to mind is Moses and the burning bush.   In brief, it’s a story about a man going about his ordinary work when he notices a bush that is on fire but not being consumed. When he stops and pays attention, he realises something significant is happening. It’s in that moment of noticing that God speaks.   Some interpretations of this story suggest something interesting. The bush may have been burning long before Moses stopped. The moment didn’t change because God suddenly appeared, but because Moses finally noticed.   Whether you read this spiritually or symbolically, the idea is powerful: sometimes meaning isn’t absent, sometimes it is overlooked.   What I saw on Friday felt like one of those moments. An ordinary café, an ordinary end of the day. And yet, something important was happening.   If we rush, if we’re exhausted, if we’re focused only on what’s next, it’s easy to miss these moments not because they aren’t there, but because we are human.   Carrying the cost   This kind of work comes at a cost.   It is tiring, emotionally demanding, and requires restraint, empathy, and presence even on days when your own reserves are low.   Many ancient traditions, including the Biblical ones, carry this idea that freedom and restoration often come with a cost that someone, somewhere, carries weight so others can find safety. Whether understood spiritually or symbolically, it’s a way of naming a truth about human care.   That doesn’t mean suffering should be glorified, and it doesn’t mean boundaries don’t matter. It simply acknowledges that frontline care involves emotional labour and that labour deserves to be seen, respected and supported.   So, I want to say this clearly and sincerely to all frontline workers across The Salvation Army:   Thank you.   Thank you for staying present when it would have been easier to disengage. Thank you for listening to stories that don’t resolve neatly. Thank you for offering dignity where people may have expected dismissal. Thank you for doing work that is often invisible but deeply meaningful.   My encouragement isn’t to do more, it’s not to give endlessly, it’s not to ignore your own limits.   It’s this: Keep noticing. Keep listening. Keep seeing what’s in front of you.   And just as importantly: Rest. Set boundaries. Let yourself be human.   Holy ground exists in ordinary places, not because they are perfect, but because people show up.   READ MORE: The Salvation Army Australia Territory’s mission and vision

Click on the video above to hear the Territorial Commander’s message. Salvationists across Australia are invited to attend the launch of ‘The Way’ – the Australia Territory’s spiritual direction for 2026 and beyond.  Our Territorial Commander, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, says The Way will inform the future direction of The Salvation Army’s mission and ministry, and she’s calling on all people within the movement to walk in alignment with Jesus and with each other. “We are focusing on discipleship, prayer, evangelism, spiritual warfare, and being on mission,” she enthuses. “This is the way of Jesus. This is our way, and forever. Let’s come along, sharpen the focus, be iron sharpens iron to and with one another, and then walk so closely in the footsteps of Rabbi Jesus that we are covered in his dust.” She says she is excited to attend The Way launch at Tuggeranong Corps in Canberra on 13-14 February. “I’ll be there. Come and join me – wherever you are in Australia! The best days are coming.” Register your attendance at one of The Way launches across Australia  here .

Colonels John and Lani Chamness (centre) were treated to a rousing Redfern welcome at a special chapel service at Territorial Headquarters in Sydney on Thursday 29 January. BY LAUREN MARTIN   At their first official welcome event in Australia, Colonels John and Lani Chamness have emphasised the importance of integrity, organisational honesty and faithfulness to one another and to God as they take on key territorial leadership roles.   A special Welcome Chapel and morning tea was held at Territorial Headquarters in Redfern, Sydney, earlier today for the officers of the USA Western Territory.   Amid jokes about Vegemite and Aussie colloquialisms, the Chamnesses shared personal aspects of their lives and ministry, along with the qualities they will bring to their new appointments – John as Chief Secretary and Lani as Territorial Secretary for Women’s Ministries and Officer Leader Development.   Colonel John Chamness speaks at the Welcome Chapel service at Redfern. “A few things I live by,” said John after he thanked those gathered for their warm welcome, “is integrity. As a movement, we need to live up to the integrity that Christ has called us to.   “Honesty. A word that’s often lacking in our world today – to be honest, to be true. We need to be honest with each other.”   He went on to say: “Faithfulness is another important thing for me, to be faithful to one another. I didn’t grow up in the [Salvation] Army, but as a young member of The Salvation Army, I often heard my friends talk about ‘THQ’ or ‘DHQ’ or whatever, and that has continued, where we blame one another. But we have such a beautiful transforming organisation, so we should be proud of who we are, instead of pointing fingers at one another – let’s lift each other up!” Major Kim Haworth, Colonel Lani Chamness, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, Major Stuart Glover and Colonel John Chamness at THQ Redfern. Leading courageously Major Kim Haworth, Assistant Chief Secretary (Mission), said that as she has come to know the colonels over the past few months, she has praised God for what a great ‘fit’ they are for leadership in the Australia Territory.   “They are the ‘real deal’,” she said. “They’re authentic, they are wise, loving and kind. They share a deep and beautiful faith and bring a wealth of experience to us from their officer journey.   “We have a real sense that we are in very good hands under their leadership.” Speakers at Redfern included (from left) Emily Blackstock, Major Robyn Black and Major Kim Haworth.   Major Robyn Black, NSW/ACT Divisional Commander, welcomed officers and members of The Salvation Army’s faith communities and committed to covering the new leaders in prayer: “And we especially pray for you that you will continue to hear the whispers of the Holy Spirit and that you will lead courageously.”   In her welcome on behalf of employees and volunteers, People and Culture Partner Emily Blackstock thanked God for preparing the colonels to lead The Salvation Army in Australia into the years ahead: “We are excited about the ways God will use your leadership to strengthen our mission and expand our impact.” Colonel Lani Chamness plays her song at the service.. A highlight of the meeting was when Lani brought a song that she had written, called ‘I Will Hope in My God’. As she played the guitar and sang to a packed chapel about the hope of Jesus, a beautiful sense of peace settled over those gathered in the Redfern chapel.    Redfern-based The Chamnesses will live in Sydney and work from Territorial Headquarters at Redfern, the base for Executive Leadership as of January 2026.   However, they will travel throughout the country as they work alongside the Territorial Commander, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas, and other key leaders to guide The Salvation Army Australia into the future.   Their next official welcome will be a chapel service at Blackburn Territorial Headquarters in Melbourne on Thursday 5 February.   This will be followed by official public Welcome Meetings at Camberwell Corps (Vic.) on Sunday 15 February and at Parramatta Corps (NSW) on Sunday 1 March. Photos: Michelle Watts (Senior Producer - Salvos Studios)

Sam Pho with MultiConnexions CEO, Sheba Nandkeolyar at the RSA Multicultural launch in May 2024. Image: File BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE A retired Salvation Army officer who arrived in Australia as a refugee has recently been awarded for his contributions to the community. Lieutenant-Colonel Xuyen (Sam) Tam Pho Liu, who served for more than 30 years in both corps and executive roles throughout the Australia Territory, was awarded the Chinese Australian Achievers Award 2025 for Community Service. The awards are presented biennially by the Museum of Chinese Australian History in Melbourne, and celebrate the ingenuity, talent, creativity and contributions of Chinese Australians. Sam, who has both Chinese and Vietnamese heritage, recently revealed on the Stories of Hope podcast  with Major Bryce Davies that almost five decades ago, he arrived in Melbourne as a refugee from Vietnam via Malaysia somewhat by fluke, as he was originally set to be placed on a boat to Brisbane, but a slip-up on a medical exam had led to him being sent south instead. Sam accepting his award. Image: Chris Crewthers MP It was through his settling in Melbourne that he encountered The Salvation Army, attended training college and later took on officership. He has since held a number of Salvation Army appointments, including Corps Officer, Media and Information Officer, Officer Commanding for the Hong Kong and Macau Territory, Canberra-based National Secretary, National Director for Multicultural Ministry, and Executive Manager for Indigenous and Multicultural Media and Community. Additionally, Sam has championed the cause of migrants and refugees in Australia and sought to bring issues faced by those of diverse backgrounds into public discussion. In 2020, he wrote a reflection for Common Grace’s Refugee Week campaign about his own story, and what he had learnt through his experience as a refugee. “I have always been grateful for the provision the Australian Government afforded me when I arrived in Melbourne, 42 years ago, as a refugee from war-torn Vietnam,” he wrote. “Accommodation, food and financial support in the initial settlement made it easier for me to start a new life. These practical means were the essential ways to welcome me into the country. “However, connecting with people required a different approach. It could not be ordered by government regulations. It could only rely on the goodwill of the community. I found when I opened myself to others, a genuine acceptance will surely be given in return. I too have learned to welcome others as a result.” To find out more about the awards and other 2025 recipients, see here .

Did you know that the Tanzania Territory has more than 12,000 senior soldiers, and its education programs focus on children struggling, not just with endemic poverty and gender inequality, but disabilities and abandonment? Each week through 2026, Salvationists around the world are uniting in prayer for the same territory or region of The Salvation Army. Prayer requests are shared by the territory/region to help us pray with precision and power for one another. This week (2-8 February)   we pray for the Tanzania Territory.   This territory has 243 officers (227 active, 16 retired); 18 cadets; 93 corps; 49 outposts; 12,238 senior soldiers; 3677 adherents; 11,369 junior soldiers; 115 employees.   Colonels Mary and Samuel Mkami lead the Tanzania Territory. The work of the territory includes: ·  Schools and education (4 schools, 1200 youth club members) ·  Village savings and loan associations ·  Community health services ·  Modern slavery and human trafficking response. The Tanzania Territory works to include children of all abilities in its sports' programs.   Prayers for the territory: Praise points: Thanksgiving for God’s protection over the territory in the past year and for all the blessings we received, good health for all officers, employees and all people related to the Salvation Army ministry all over the territory. Children at The Salvation Army's Matumaini School. Matumaini means ‘hope’ in Swahili. Since the school started in 1967, it has been providing education and hope to primary school children living with physical disabilities and albinism. Prayer requests Poverty and gender inequality are the underlying issues facing children across Tanzania. ·       Pray for the dedication of all territorial, divisional and corps plans to God. We ask you to pray for the success of all the programs in relation to officers’ seminars, local officers teaching and planned youth meetings. ·       Pray for renewal of commitment to Salvationist values and discipline. ·       For unity among leadership: territorial, divisional and corps offices all around the territory, keeping in mind that unity is power. ·       For God’s direction for self-sustainability projects, institutions and development programs. ·       Spiritual revival in corps worship, holiness meetings, and prayer gatherings. Pray that The Salvation Army in the territory put more emphasis on: Discipleship, Youth & Family Ministries. Colossians 2:6–7 ; 2 Peter 3:18        ·       Pray for renewed passion for evangelism and soul-winning in divisional, corps and territorial levels. ·       As we go through a post-election period which was marred by violence, we ask you to pray for peace, stability and righteousness in Tanzania as a nation.     Find out more about the Tanzania Territory here . Find out more about The Salvation Army’s prayer focus here . Download the 2026 prayer schedule here .

Hamilton Salvos Community Engagement Worker and Ministry Assistant, Mark Thomas (left) and Anthony Bolden, who initiated Tins in the Bin, are not only good mates, but are saving lives across Victoria’s Southern Grampians district through the provision of essential food relief and material aid. One phone call was all it took. It has since saved lives. When Anthony Bolden, a local resident in regional Victoria, set out to help people doing it tough, he could never have imagined it would become ‘Tins in the Bin’ - an extraordinary grassroots initiative that has since delivered well over a tonne of food to local community members. Together with his good mate, Mark Thomas from Hamilton Salvos, this unstoppable duo has become a trusted lifeline - and a force for good - as Salvos Online journalist LERISSE SMITH reports.   Mark Thomas pulls no punches.   He has seen firsthand the great hardship facing community members across the Southern Grampians.   “I reckon there’d be 12 people that say that they wouldn’t be alive if they didn’t have the food that we give them,” reflects the Community Engagement Worker and Ministry Assistant at Hamilton Salvos.   “I’m going to one (local resident) this afternoon. When I first met him, he was living off Pigface plants in their front yard. He was in his late 60s, stooped over from malnutrition. He couldn’t carry the food box I gave him. I had to take it into his kitchen. He was skin and bone. He was just in tears when I gave him food.”   Several years on, the transformation is unmistakable.   “Now he meets us at the door, carries the box, he’s joined the community, and spends time with his grandchildren ... he’s even taking in other people who are homeless. We’re feeding them as well.”   Another client, who once weighed just 42 kilograms, has since regained weight and improved their health and strength through regular food support.   The remarkable impact of the Tins in the Bin initiative, along with the other two main suppliers of food relief and material aid, Foodshare and Salvos Stores donations, is real and immediate – lives sustained, dignity restored and hidden crises eased.   At its heart, Tins in the Bin operates on a simple premise – that no family goes without – backed by Anthony Bolden’s rock-solid belief that small acts of kindness have the power to transform lives.   And it all began with a phone call.   Wanting to better understand what was happening locally for people needing help, Anthony, a local Coleraine resident who works for an earthmoving company, rang the Salvos in Hamilton to ascertain what was really happening on the ground.   “I didn’t know how bad our area was here,” he admits. The incredible generosity of Southern Grampians residents who, despite facing great hardship themselves, still donate non-perishable food and other items to the bins in their local supermarkets to help others.   After a few calls, he reached Mark, whose role extends to being the Food Coordinator, who shared the stark reality: how many people were seeking help, how many were fed weekly at the church, and how many food hampers were being delivered across the region.   “It was quite a shock,” Anthony remarked.   Mark then asked him if he wanted to volunteer.   “I said no, I work full-time. But I asked, “What do you need?” recalled Anthony. “And he said, “Food.”  So, I said, “Right, I’ll see what I can do.’”   That conversation sparked an idea.   Starting with a single donation bin in his driveway, Anthony invited locals clearing out their cupboards to drop off non-perishable food for Mark to distribute.   “I thought it was going to be quite small at the start,” he says. “But it grew quickly.”   What began at home soon expanded into local supermarkets, which embraced and supported the initiative, including barbecues and fundraising, and now includes the local post office and bank.   It has been a remarkable success far beyond what Anthony could have imagined – and the name came almost by accident.   “I was interviewed by a young reporter who asked, ‘Have you got a name?’ I said, ‘I don’t know. It’s not rocket science – you put a tin in a bin,” explained Anthony. “And he said, ‘Well, there you go! And it’s gone off from there.’”   Today, Tins in the Bin has provided well over a tonne of food, with weekly donations and regulars donors who give each week. Tins in the Bin all began with a phone call. Wanting to better understand what was happening locally for people needing help, Anthony (right), a local Coleraine resident, spoke with Mark who shocked Anthony with how many people were seeking help, fed weekly, and the demand for food hampers. Each week, Anthony collects non-perishable food from the bins, and Mark picks it up during regular deliveries or when emergency packages are needed. Sometimes, Mark can drive up to two hours away to deliver food to those who need it.   And the need is great.   Skyrocketing rents, rising living costs, illness or unemployment can quickly leave individuals and families unable to pay bills.   Mark says there is a “phenomenal” number of people doing it tough. People are living in cars and sheds, and isolated in bushland, often without power or water.   Testament to this is a delivery to a local resident out bush who has no other contact with anyone else – except Mark. He has no utilities and will speak for just a few minutes – quietly saying thank you for the hamper. If he has spare vegetables, he will give them to Mark.   Mark and his Hamilton Salvos team feed around 190 people a week, including their local community meals. Food is also placed on outdoor tables at the Salvos – sometimes discreetly picked up at 2am.   Yet even amid hardship, against all odds, generosity flows.   “People doing it tough themselves still put a tin in,” Mark says. “They think, ‘If I’m struggling, others must be worse off.’ That’s the heart of it.”   In the predominantly farming Southern Grampians region, hardship spreads quickly. When farmers struggle, local businesses follow – one café closed after customers could no longer afford cake with their coffee. Anthony sees himself as the “middle man”, connecting people in need with Mark.    And the help goes beyond food.   Anthony recalls recently visiting a man who literally had nothing after being released from hospital and moved to a unit with only the clothes on his back – no toaster, no kettle, no way to heat up food. The Grampians community has responded with generosity to help their fellow community members struggling to make ends meet. Together with Mark, they provided the basics immediately, along with a hamper.   “I’m proud that I’ve become that middle man,” Anthony says. “I know from the past it’s not that easy to get hold of someone if you don’t know where to go or who to talk to.”   The ripple effects have even reached unexpected places – including the local police station.   “Once meal deliveries started, shoplifting basically dropped to near zero,” Mark says. “Police told us it happened within months.”   Mark credits Anthony’s extraordinary dedication to initiating Tins in the Bin, saying their working relationship – and friendship – is something special. They are mates who speak regularly throughout the week.   Keeping Tins in the bin local matters.   “Because this is where I live,” Anthony reflects. “It’s about the whole community … If you’re hungry, we’ll make sure you’re alright.”   And once a year, the community rallies together for a highlight on the calendar – the annual ‘Tins in the Bin Family Fun Day’. Anthony with the SES’s ‘Paddy Platypus’ at the Tins in the Bin Family Fun Day. The annual event has been an incredible success uniting the community together where so many are doing it tough​​. Last year, the event raised nearly $6000 to help the community. The event was designed to be affordable for families while raising awareness and funds for the Christmas and back-to-school seasons. Last year, the event drew 1500 to 2000 people and raised just under $6000. Funds were distributed directly to the Salvos, the local St Vincent de Paul, and the Hamilton Uniting Church, supporting Christmas vouchers, food, and essentials such as hams and turkeys for Christmas lunches.   Support has also come from further afield. In the wake of the Grampians bushfires, ‘Turbans 4 Australia’ donated and delivered 22 pallets of supplies, plus a huge truck of toys for Christmas.   Today, Tins in the Bin supports multiple agencies, supplies a range of items from hygiene products to pet food, and reaches people often invisible to the system.   And Anthony plans for the project to continue to go from strength to strength in the community.   So, what’s his ethos?   “Everything in life has an opposite,” he says, adding it’s helped him in the past. “So, where there’s a negative, there has to be a positive. Even if you’re having a bad day, you know you’re going to have a good day because everything has an opposite.”   For those interested in donating to Tins in the Bin, contact Anthony at: Tony _ Bolden@hotmail.com or 0401 925 082.

Salvation Army teams provide essential supplies and spiritual support in the face of devastating wildfires. As catastrophic wildfires spread through the Biobío Region in southern Chile, Salvation Army Disaster Response Teams are deployed at ground zero, providing holistic support to affected communities.   The devastating fires, which began on 16 January, have burned nearly 30,000 hectares, destroying more than 750 homes and leaving 6707 people homeless. At least 21 lives have been lost and around 50,000 people were evacuated as the fires spread rapidly. Salvation Army teams are prioritising the most urgent needs, and coordinating the preparation and distribution of food, drinking water and essential hygiene items. Officers and volunteers are working from two nearby corps and installed two soup kitchens to ensure sustained humanitarian assistance.   Alongside emergency relief, the teams are offering much-needed emotional and spiritual support to families who have lost their homes and even loved ones. These efforts are taking place as government agencies continued evacuations, damage assessments and early recovery planning.   The Salvation Army in Chile remains committed to a rapid, compassionate and coordinated response to this and other emergencies, serving people in need both materially and spiritually.   The Salvation Army asks for prayers for the affected communities, for its teams on the ground and for effective coordination with local authorities, trusting in God’s guidance and provision at every stage of the response. Chile is part of the South America West Territory.