Salvation Army

Salvation Army holds giveaway By ANDREW SCHOTZ / Staff Writer The Salvation Army was giving it all away in Hagerstown Wednesday: toys, clothes, ingredients for Christmas dinner. Major Georgia Henderson lost track of how many needy Washington County residents came. "It was easily 3,000," she said. Many came for the toys. In one room of the Salvation Army's chapel facing George Street, wooden tables were piled high with boxes of plastic dinosaurs and Barbie dolls and "Ting-A-Ling" telephones.

marlob@herald-mail.com On an average weekday, the Salvation Army in Hagerstown feeds 115 to 125 people. On Tuesday, that number grew to 176 as the agency dished up its traditional Thanksgiving dinner. "I started cooking the five turkeys and the stuffing on Monday," said Helena Hart, a staff member who has worked in the kitchen at the Salvation Army for six years. A line began forming outside the 534 W. Franklin St. headquarters at 11 a.m., 30 minutes before workers began serving food.

The generosity of the community during the recent Christmas season means The Salvation Army likely will be able to meet the needs of many in Hagerstown in 2008. The Christmas kettles brought in $85,225 in donations, an increase of $7,000 from 2006, Maj. Robert Lyle said. "It was the first year for a kettle at Pennsylvania Dutch Market, and it did very well," Lyle said. The kettle at the U.S. Post Office on West Franklin Street reported double what it took in last year, he said.

One of Volvo Group Hagerstown Site's more than 100 Operational Development teams had an idea that raised $32,000 for The Salvation Army.  On Jan. 25, team members toured The Salvation Army facility to see for themselves how donations have been used and are being allocated to an existing vital project.  The idea is known by the site's 1,400 employees as “vBay.” “It started in late 2011, when we assessed the collection of items and...

Officials with The Salvation Army said Monday they have almost reached their fundraising goal to build a $1.8 million facility that would include new offices and a gymnasium in Hagerstown’s West End. Maj. Robert Lyle said the building would be behind existing Salvation Army buildings on George Street. He said The Salvation Army has raised about $1 million for the project and officials hope to raise the remaining $800,000 within the next several months. “We believe we should be able to start (construction)

Mason-Dixon Barbershop Chorus past president Norman Mayer and president Tracy Cline present a $1,000 check to Maj. Robert Lyles, local Salvation Army commander. The money was raised at a fundraising show at Hagerstown Community College's Kepler Theater. The show was in November and played to a standing-room-only crowd.

Those who donate to the United Way and want their contributions to go to the Hagerstown Corps of the Salvation Army will have to change the way they make donations this year, said Maj. Robert Henderson. When people fill out annual United Way pledge forms, they may make Salvation Army donations through a "designations only" category, according to Henderson. Some employers, however, use a generic donor card that does not give people an opportunity to specify donations for certain organizations, said Henderson.

HALFWAY -- The cling-cling-cling-cling of Salvation Army bells heralded the start of the holiday season at Valley Mall on Monday as the organization kicked off its annual Salvation Army kettle drive. The Salvation Army also marked the start of the holiday fundraising campaign with a noon ceremony in the mall food court that included music by The Salvation Army Band and remarks by Salvation Army leaders and local elected officials. The local Salvation Army's goal is to raise $90,000 this year in donations dropped in its kettles outside 17 area retail sites, said Donald Talbert, chairman of the Hagerstown Corps Advisory Board.

Employees of the Housing Authority of Washington County gathered around the Christmas tree recently as they presented Maj. Robert Lyle of The Salvation Army with a facsimile check representing the $564 they collected during the past year. Each Friday, Authority employees are allowed to dress down in exchange for a donation to the Casual Day fund. This year, the staff voted unanimously to send the proceeds to The Salvation Army to fill Christmas stockings. Employees present for the presentation were Stephen O'Brien, Tyenna Hart, Pam Schnebly, Vicki Corbiser, Marlene Groesbeck, Tina McCall and Kimberly Shipley.

Easter flowers to brighten the season and to help the homeless and needy will be on sale April 19-22 at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Halfway Boulevard, the site of the former Burger Chef restaurant in Hagerstown. The Salvation Army of Hagerstown will be selling lilacs, hyacinths, tulips and mums at prices ranging from $5.25 to $8.75. Hours on Wednesday and Thursday are 5 to 8 p.m.; on Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.