Declutter The Coat Closet & Do The Most Good!

The fall season is almost half over, which means old man winter is on his way. And we hear he’s going to be especially harsh to residents of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and around the Rockies where snow levels are expected to be higher than normal. But temperatures everywhere are dropping right now, which means people [...]

Savvy Back to School Shopping with The Glam Thrifter

The Back to School shopping season can be one of the best lessons ever for yourself and your children. Think “Savings 101″. It’s possible to stay on trend and in budget without complex graphs and charts prepared before you hit the stores.

Salvation Army, I Heart You

Guest blogger Kendra Ketter Chavis is a speaker and Christian Lifestyle blogger (GoodGirlsHaveMoreFun.com & HowToWearAnything.com) whose work focuses on using media and creative engagement to make God a more relatable and desirable presence in the lives of youth and young adults. Through the church, work with young sex trafficking survivors, multimedia access and as a member [...]

Stylish, and with good cause!

Have you heard of WARDrobe Army Apparel? Thanks to The Salvation Army Western Territory’s latest post from their Expect Change Blog, we learned about some awesome new threads on the market! WARDrobe has a collection of eye-catching T-shirts that are

Remember the Socks

The following was contributed by Guest Blogger Brooke Newsom, Unit Director of The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of the Kerrville Kroc Center.

Last week as the kids were loading off the bus to attend The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, I noticed a kindergartner running down the hall.

“Use your walking feet please.” I said as I glanced down at his shoes. I noticed there were no socks on his feet, so I asked him why he wasn’t wearing any.

He shrugged and said, “I don’t have any socks.” I prodded a little more, “You don’t have ANY socks at all?” He shrugged again, “I only get socks when I stay the night at my grandma’s house.”

In the back of my mind I remembered that we had a few packs of boy’s socks, of all things, that were donated to us during the summer time, just sitting in my office.

I asked him, “Would you like me to give you some socks?”

I did not know that a child could get so excited about something as simple and basic as socks. After helping him put a pair on and re tie his shoes, he looked up hopeful and asked, “Do I get to keep the whole package?”

“Yes.” I replied and sent him back to his classroom, hugging his new socks to his chest.

As an after school program director, it is easy to forget the “big picture” when working with the youth we serve. This child reminded me of the truly important things, such as filling a basic need that a child has. The Salvation Army has been meeting needs for a very long time, and I am grateful we haven’t forgotten the small things. We haven’t forgotten the socks.

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To learn more about the ways that you can donate to The Salvation Army – whether monetarily or through goods such as clothing, furniture and household items – please visit our website at www.donate.salvationarmyusa.org.

In keeping with the mission of The Salvation Army, The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers provide facilities, programs and services that encourage positive life-changing experiences for children and adults, strengthen families, and enrich the lives of seniors. Click here to learn more about The Salvation Army Kroc Centers.

Talented AND Trendy? You’re Hired!

If interviewing for a job isn’t stressful enough by itself, there’s nothing worse than the distraction of insecurity about how you appear. I’ve been there, sitting across from three interviewers looking “sharp” until I realize half-way through the “what are your weaknesses?” question that I have a gigantic gaping hole in my pantyhose. So big that I can only assume I was inconspicuously attacked by a small cougar on my way into the meeting. The remaining half-hour was spent with me attempting to pull my skirt down far enough to cover the hole. It wasn’t doing the trick and needless to say, the interview was all downhill from there.

Confidence is definitely a necessary attribute for landing the job you want. And The Salvation Army of Massillon, OH is dishing it out with their new Working Clothing Closet program. Area residents who are eligible for participation in the program can receive three professional outfits, shoes and accessories.

After realizing the need for the program amid the recession and noticing a perfectly good, unused storage room at their new building, Salvation Army employees put their plan into action. With help from local non-profit Quota Club, the storage facility was redesigned in boutique-fashion complete with comfortable changing rooms and decor. Salvation Army employees sorted through hoards of clothes to find the business-appropriate selections that would be of interest to the female participants.

We’re always amazed at the ingenuity behind programs like this and the love that is outpoured from the community involved – evident at Salvation Army locations nationwide. What a neat way to fill the need!

There are two amazing results of your donation at your local Salvation Army Thrift Store: First, you fill a local need and make programs possible like the Working Clothing Closet mentioned above. Secondly, the profit made from re-selling your donated clothes directly funds our Adult Rehabilitation Clinics. Click Here to Learn More.

We Like Haband- Do You?

Attention Facebookers!

Haband Apparel & Footwear needs your affection to donate to The Salvation Army. For every 1000 new ‘Likes’ on Facebook, Habard has offered to donate $1,000 worth of clothing to The Salvation Army!

Click Here to ‘Like’ Habard on Facebook. From now until September 12, every new fan will count towards a donation.

Donating to a Salvation Army Thrift Store benefits our Adult Rehabilitation Centers nationwide. Each center provides the spiritual, social and emotional assistance for adults who have lost the ability to cope with their problems and provide for themselves. Click Here to hear personal testimonies from those whose lives have been forever changed thanks to your donation.

You can learn more about Haband by visiting their website at www.haband.com.

A Sneak Peek into Christine’s Closet

Christine Burton works at the headquarters of The Salvation Army’s Western Territory. Every morning she comes to work looking like she stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine.

She’s always coordinated, accessorized and super stylish. Her look is totally creative and appropriately professional.

How does she do it, you ask? She shops for pieces at The Salvation Army Family Store near her home!

Click here to read more about Christine’s shopping strategy and to see more images of the first outfit featured in the West’s series called “Christine’s Closet.”

High Fashion Meets The Salvation Army

The styles below look like they were ripped from the pages of a high-end fashion magazine…

But would you believe the models featured are all wearing clothes that were donated to The Salvation Army?

In Argentina, the local Salvation Army teamed up with ad agency JWT Argentina and five of the country’s top fashion designers to put together these stunning outfits, blowing away conventional ideas of thrift store style!

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The goal of The Salvation Army Argentina’s “Sr. Amor” campaign is to raise awareness of the importance of recycling clothes through donation and resale, which benefits both people in need and the environment.

The pieces pictured above were auctioned off earlier this month with the funds raised going to support The Salvation Army.

Now don’t let Argentina have all the fun. Visit our site www.satruck.org to learn more about donating clothes and other items to The Salvation Army. Your generous gifts donated to our Family Thrift Stores willsupport the work of our Adult Rehabilitation Centers. You could look around stores to see if you find some new inspiring treasures for yourself!