Five years ago we sold our large home in the suburbs where we had raised our two daughters. We…read moremoved to a lovely historic house with apartments by the river. A year later my husband left to homestead his mother's inherited condo. Finding myself alone and unwilling to go to bars, I walked over and joined a women's and a senior's group at a Salvation Army. It was the BEST decision I could have made! Years ago I tutored junior high kids in East Harlem, taught camping hiking skills to inner city fresh air camp kids, was hired on an Antioch work study semester to be the first Spanish interpreter at age 19 at Jacobi ( welfare) municipal hospital in the Bronx, became the first college student hired by the Job Corps working in downtown LA teaching Chicanas how to read, then assisted the Exec Director Robert Coard at Boston's largest Community Action $20 million program ABCD right out of college. My last job in the public sector was as an EEO Officer for CETA under the Dept of Labor for 10 counties in Massachusetts. I spent four wonderful years within the Salvation Army, participating in their programs, accepting some of their wonderful donated food from Lunds and Byerlys and observing TWO citadels' ( other in downtown St Paul on West 7th) staff and participant children, families. SO many social service programs allow their staff to help themselves FIRST to all donations given to the program. This is WIDESPREAD. Not here at Salvation Army. This is a church that does not aggressively proselytize to participants. Seniors, women's men's and children's programs are created in many of these Citadels. I participated in a wonderful women's program that took short trips to museums and others places of interest. Belonging to a welcoming community is very important today for everyone. They also run an official food shelf only for qualified residents in their specific assigned region of care. These food banks ( located inside each Salvation Army " citadel") help those who qualify with utility bills just before disconnect, sometimes a little for rent, finding housing, sometimes clothing/ warm jackets blankets, hats mittens gloves. Many Citadels have after school programs and day care at prices according to what people can afford. They have in EVERY major city the VERY BEST program in the country for SUCCESSFULLY helping folk quit drugs. I know, for in Virginia I would bring many inner city and other young people to their FULL year live/ work in programs. The main source of funding is from Bell Ringing at Christmas. Recently in the last few years donations from bell ringing have dropped and many citadels have had to lay off staff, cut services. In my many years of social service, I have never found such a self sacrificing staff run truly meaningful and EFFECTIVE community wide programs. THIS Citadel has the Pollancos who recently relocated here from years in SUPER tough Chicago's South side! They are loving joyous and rare people.