Fun Facts
10 Things You Didn't Know About The Salvation Army
1. The Salvation Army was founded in London, England in 1865 by former Methodist
minister William Booth. Booth abandoned the conventional concept of a church and a
pulpit, instead taking his messageof spiritual salvationdirectly to the people -in
particular the homeless, the hungry,and the destitute of Victorian-era London.
2. National Salvation Army Week was officially recognized by Congress and President
Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954. In the proclamation,Eisenhower noted:
"Among Americans, The Salvation Army has long been a
symbol of wholehearted dedication to the cause of human
brotherhood . . . Their work has been a constant reminder to
us all that each of us is neighbor and kin to all Americans.
givingfreely of themselves, the men and women of The
Salvation Army have won the respect of us all."
3. Since 1954, The Salvation Army has been federally recognized twice -
once by President Carter in November 1980 for the organization's 100
years of service in the United Statesand again in 2001 by President
George W. Bush.
4. The annual Red Kettle Christmas fundraising campaign started in 1891 when a
Salvation Army captain in San Francisco set up a crab pot at Oakland Ferry Landing
to collect money for the poor at Christmas. The campaign has since become one of the longest-running and most recognizable fundraising efforts in the world. Kettles are now used in such distant lands as Korea, Japan, Chileand throughout Europe.
5. The Salvation Army's first major disaster response effort in the United States
followed the devastating hurricane that impacted Galveston, TX in 1900, literally
destroying the coastal city and killing more than 5,000 people. Following the storm,
Army officers from across the country moved into the Galveston area to help clean,
feed and shelter the thousands of survivors, while also providing much needed spiritual and emotional support.The Army's emergency response capabilities were once again
tested six years later following the Great Earthquake in San Francisco in 1906.
6. The Salvation Army is often credited with popularizing the doughnut in the United
States. After serving doughnuts -cooked in battle helmets -to U.S. troops in the
field during World War I, many soldiers came back to the States hooked on the
pastries. Doughnut consumption subsequently took off in the U.S. during the 1920s
and 1930s. The Salvation Army led in the formation of the United Services Organization (USO) during World War II which serves members of the armed forces abroad to this day.
7."Strawberry Fields Forever" in the Beatles 1966 song by that name, is John Lennon's
nostalgic reference to a Salvation Army orphanage called Strawberry Field in
Woolton, England. Lennon is said to have played with childhood friends in the trees
behind the orphanage when he was a boy.The facility closed in 2005.
8. The Salvation Army has been featured or mentioned in literally hundreds of
Hollywood movies over the years -from classics like The 39 Steps and On the
Water front to contemporary hits like Seabiscuit and Titanic.
9. Since 1997, The Salvation Army has launched the annual Red Kettle Christmas
fundraising campaign with a special halftime show performance at the Dallas Cowboys
Thanksgiving Day game. Previous performers have included Kelly Clarkson, Toby
Keith and Jessica Simpson. During this time period, The Salvation Army has raised
over $1 billion from the red kettles to support service efforts in communities
nationwide.
10. In 2005, consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton selected The Salvation Army, along
with the Rolling Stones, Oxford University, the Olympic Games and others, as among
the world's top-ten enduring institutions.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 127 years in the United States.
More than 35 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support
those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to
www.salvationarmyusa.org.