The Salvation Army Cascade Division

🌟 Gratitude Wrapped with a Bow: A Heartfelt Christmas Thank You! 🌟 Dear LinkedIn Family, As we embrace the festive spirit and reflect on the true essence of Christmas, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible community that came together to make a difference in the lives of many this holiday season. 🎄✨ 🤝 In the spirit of giving, The Salvation Army Portland Metro Area embarked on a mission to spread joy and hope across our community, and the response was nothing short of extraordinary. I am thrilled to share a glimpse of our heartwarming journey through a special Christmas video. 🎁🍲 This year, our mission was made possible by the unwavering support of our amazing volunteers, generous donors, and dedicated partners. Your kindness and commitment transformed our vision into a reality, bringing smiles to the faces of families who needed it most. 🙏 To our Volunteers: Your time, energy, and passion lit up the darkest corners and warmed the hearts of those facing challenges. Your selflessness is a beacon of inspiration, and we are deeply grateful for your tireless efforts. 💙 To our Donors: Your generosity poured in like a flood, enabling us to provide not only toys but also essential food boxes that will nourish bodies and spirits alike. Your belief in our cause is the foundation of this meaningful initiative. 🤝 To our Partners: Your collaboration and support amplified the impact of our outreach. Together, we created a network of compassion that reached every corner of the Portland Metro Area, making a significant difference in countless lives. 🎥 Please take a moment to watch our Christmas video, a tribute to the collective spirit of giving and the beautiful tapestry of goodwill we've woven together. 🙌 Let this serve as a reminder that when we come together with purpose and passion, we have the power to create positive change that resonates far beyond the holiday season. #lovebeyondchristmas #lovebeyond 🎉 Wishing you all a Merry Christmas filled with love, joy, and the warmth of knowing you've made a meaningful impact in the lives of others.

Congratulations to Debi Leighton!

🍩 Honoring Tradition, Spreading Joy! 🍩 Today, we're stepping back in time to pay homage to the incredible Donut Lassies of World War I. Dressed in the iconic Salvation Army Donut Lassie outfits, our amazing team, with immense gratitude to our donut partner Sesame Donuts, is hitting the streets to deliver smiles and gratitude to our frontline and emergency service heroes. These brave women served on the front lines a century ago, bringing comfort and a taste of home with their freshly made donuts. Today, we continue their legacy by spreading cheer and appreciation to those who tirelessly serve our communities. Thanks to the generous support of Sesame Donuts and a few anonymous donors, we were able to distribute over 150 dozen donuts, making a sweet impact on those who make sacrifices every day. Join us in saluting our modern-day heroes and honoring the timeless spirit of compassion and service. Together, let's make a difference, one donut at a time! 🌟

It's the Final Fresh Start Friday of January. This week, hear the incredible story of Lee, a woman who was homeless and living in her car, until she met someone from The Salvation Army and everything changed. https://lnkd.in/gXXacERs

It's Fresh Start Friday! This week we are headed to the Boise Booth Center to hear one woman's amazing story! Rebecca Arnold was on track to complete high school in her hometown of Marsing, Idaho, and go on to college. Late in her junior year, however, life took an unexpected turn. She was pregnant. Although she wanted to leave school right away, her mother convinced her to finish that year, leaving her just one year shy of her diploma. She gave birth to her son, Deklyn, in December 2018, at age 17. Arnold didn’t want to wait to get her diploma. She began working on her GED and passed the English test, but afterward she said she psyched herself out. The GED route wasn’t working for her. Then, she heard about Cardinal Academy from a friend who found it on Facebook. Located on The Salvation Army Booth Campus in Boise, Idaho, Cardinal Academy is a cost-free charter school for pregnant and parenting young people—women and men—ages 14 to 21. The Salvation Army Booth Program for Young Parents partners with the school, providing wrap-around services, including on-site childcare; personalized support and counseling; free breakfast and lunch; food pantry; prenatal, parenting and life skills classes; and an incentive store. The store stocks items parents might need and accepts payment with “Booth bucks,” which students earn by showing up for class and participating in group exercises. According to the CDC, about 50 percent of teen mothers earn a high school diploma by age 22. The Salvation Army has a long history of helping women in difficult circumstances. In Boise, it has served young parents for more than 100 years, in its earliest years with the Booth Memorial Hospital for young parents. The program has evolved over time to meet current needs. “We had so much help between the staff and The Salvation Army...and the teachers were very understanding—they weren’t just teachers,” she said. “They were there to support you and push you and [let you] know you’re not alone.” “The Salvation Army is there for them. There’s always help. There’s always hope.” This story was written by Karen Gleason and originally appeared in Caring Magazine.

It's Fresh Start Friday! Each Friday over the next few weeks, we will be bringing you the stories of those who have found a fresh start through The Salvation Army across Oregon and Southern Idaho. Today's story comes from a family who received utility assistance through the Salem, OR Family Services location: When Vanessa became pregnant with her fifth child, She and her husband were thrilled. Unfortunately, unexpected developments with her pregnancy necessitated that she stop working. Their family system of working alternating shifts to cover child care and family expenses was thrown into disarray with the lost income and increase in medical appointments. When the power company was finally going to be forced to shut off their power, Vanessa turned to The Salvation Army’s Family Services Program for help.   After an eligibility phone call and determination that funding was available, Vanessa was able to come in and receive the assistance she needed, merely one day before the power was due to be shut off. “It’s nice to have programs like The Salvation Army, otherwise we wouldn’t know what to do,” Vanessa said while signing her final documentation. Min Palios, the Intake Assistant who helped Vanessa through the program emphasizes that Vanessa’s story is not uncommon in Marion and Polk Counties. Families who would otherwise be self-sustaining experience a hardship, leading them to the brink of homelessness. This is when The Salvation Army is able to come alongside families, helping to prevent homelessness. Because of this program, hardworking families like Vanessa’s are able to stay in their homes and get a fresh start.

Continuing in our recognition of the amazing volunteers who worked alongside us this past Christmas, today we are grateful for the incredible community spirit exhibited by the volunteer groups from Intel Corporation and JustServe.org. 🎄✨ Those we serve were incredibly blessed thanks to their generosity of our volunteers' time and spirit.

We'd like to take a bit of time, now that the Christmas season has died down, to thank some of the incredible people and teams that helped to make the 2023 giving season so incredible! Atlas Management LLC, PLUS QA, and Columbia Sportswear Company - Y'all rock! Thanks to their volunteer help, we were able to get toys sorted and ready to distribute to families around the Portland Metro Area.

Volunteer Shoutout! We are so grateful to the team at Prometheus Real Estate Group who showed us what being a Titan is all about through their teamwork and dedication! These amazing folks sorted through boxes and barrels of donated toys to find the perfect matches for hundreds of Portland Metro children. They are truly a light in this community!

As The Salvation Army Portland Metro wraps up our week of Christmas toy and food box distribution, we want to say a big thank you to CIDA Architecture | Engineering | Planning | Interiors and their CIDAites for their joyful assistance last week helping us sort toy donations! Their good cheer rings loud for all to hear and we know our local families in need appreciate them!