Thanks to the local chapter of the Insurance Brokers Association in Hamilton, people will be keeping warm in March this year. A donation of 75 blankets was made by the Insurance Brokers Association of Hamilton at their luncheon at the Waterfront Centre to The Salvation Army’s Booth Centre. The Centre in downtown Hamilton provides shelter, meals and support for vulnerable people who find themselves without a home. The blankets will be utilized at the shelter and given to people to stay warm.

Central Huron’s volunteer firefighters battled a blaze that broke out early this morning in one of Clinton’s historic downtown buildings. Clinton’s main street and most of its core businesses are closed due to the fire, which has consumed the Salvation Army food bank and thrift store.

Captain Tims Andrews reports there were still a large number of donations, including a large quantity of food, on site thanks to the recent Christmas campaign. The worry now, reports Andrews, is how best to meet the needs of the many area residents who utilize the food bank and Family Services’ offices. The Salvation Army has insurance for the contents of our rental space and we are confident that in due time we will recoup the losses. “This is definitely a tragedy for the Salvation Army,” Capt Andrews says. “We’re really lamenting the situation.” The Salvation Army remains committed to helping the residents of Clinton and will reopen in due course, but details of a temporary location are not available as of yet.

Financial donations to help The Salvation Army food bank and thrift store recover from the fire can be made at SalvationArmy.ca or 1 -800 SAL ARMY - specify the gift to Clinton Thrift Store Fire.

Being homeless and living on the streets is difficult and dangerous enough. But when winter is added to the equation, with temperatures dropping to life-threatening lows, the result is pure misery. This winter, countless homeless people will turn to The Salvation Army for in search of shelter from the bitter cold. They are young and they are old. Some are runaways. Others battle addictions. They are hungry, many are sick or without employment. During cold alerts, The Salvation Army coordinates with other agencies and municipalities to ensure that support is available to all on the cold streets.

Because of your support, people can turn to The Salvation Army and receive compassionate assistance. You enable us to write a new sentence - one of Hope. Homelessness + The Salvation Army = Hope

The Salvation Army wishes you a very Merry Christmas!

Thank you to the many people who helped The Salvation Army during the Christmas season. As a result of your volunteering and donations, The Salvation Army is able to stand with vulnerable people this Christmas. 2009 has seen a dramatic shift in the economic climate which has meant that in some areas there has been a 40% increase in the number of families seeking Christmas assistance.

The simple gesture of a turkey dinner, gifts and companionship on Christmas Day, will provide a Christmas miracle that you are now a part of. During this Christmas season may it encourage you to know that you are giving hope to those who are often overlooked in our community. Thank you for being a part of our Christmas Miracle.

Merry Christmas!

As Christmas shoppers head out to finish purchasing last minute gifts, The Salvation Army continues to be out in full force with the Christmas Kettles. The annual Christmas kettle campaign will continue to have presence in local shopping centres right up until the afternoon on December 24th. The Great Lakes Division is seeing that giving is up in some locations, but down in others - on average kettles are at 85% of their goals. With only a few hours left in the campaign, The Salvation Army is asking everyone to help give hope this Christmas by dropping off a donation in the kettle.

The Salvation Army’s St. Catharines Christmas Dinner tradition will be continuing again this year. The annual dinner was in jeopardy of not continuing due to losing its primary sponsor in these tough economic times. Smart!Centres, Calloway Real Estate Investment Trust, and Retrocom Mid-Market Real Estate Investment Trust in St. Catharines all stepped in and provided the needed funds to ensure that low income families have a wonderful Christmas dinner – plus toys for the children. Mayor Brian McMullan will be attending the 3:00pm seating of the dinner.

“We are so grateful to our community partners for assisting us with this year’s dinner. This will allow The Salvation Army in St. Catharines to host 850 people at our annual Christmas Dinner. Seeing the joy on the faces of people sitting down to a hot turkey dinner with presents is a really moving experience and we are so happy to be able to continue this tradition of giving hope” Major Mike Hennessy, The Salvation Army St. Catharines.

People wishing to attend the dinner should call our Booth Centre at 905-684-7813 to register Monday to Friday between 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. Cut off for registration is December 15 2009 at 4:00 pm. This is a ticket event for singles and families - 5:30 is now full we are only taking names for the 3:00 pm sitting. Tickets must be picked up in advance from the Booth Centre -184 Church St.

Event Info:
The Salvation Army Christmas Dinner
December 16, 2009
Two Sittings - 3:00 pm, 5:30 pm
Westminster United Church - 180 Queenston Street, St. Catharines

Jennifer Kellner receives a cheque from Andy Zimmerman from the CHML Y108 Children's Fund.

The local Hamilton Corus Radio station CHML and Y108 have been generous in supporting The Salvation Army in their efforts to assist children in Hamilton. The CHML/Y108 Christmas Tree of Hope was just lit up on Dec 4th, and already funds from their Children’s Fund are being given out to give hope to marginalized children. “We are so pleased to receive this grant from the Children’s Fund - it means that we will be able to have a direct impact on children in Hamilton and give hope. The Salvation Army is so grateful to the community and Y108/CHML for all that they do to support vulnerable people in Hamilton” Jennifer Kellner, spokesperson for The Salvation Army.