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The War Cry | MAY 2015
COMPASSION IN ACTION
T
he annual Red Ket-
tle Campaign col-
lected more than
$144 million over
the Christmas season, exceed-
ing last year's total by 6.3 per-
cent. Thanks to the support of
donors and corporate part-
ners, the money raised helps
The Salvation Army provide
food, shelter and social ser-
vices to nearly 30 million
Americans in need this year. The funds are
used in the local communities where dona-
tions are given, so the Army can apply and
adapt programs and assistance to address
specific needs. For example, this year's pro-
ceeds make possible more than 10 million
nights of shelter and roughly
58 million meals, as well as
after-school and substance
abuse programs.
"The economy continued to
face strong headwinds, which
could have resulted in a loss for
us and greatly affected our pro-
gramming, but the generosity
of the American public helped
us avoid that," said Lt. Colonel
Ron Busroe, National Commu-
nity Relations and Development Secretary.
Donations through salvationarmyusa.org
totaled $24.91 million, a 16 percent increase
from 2013.
-- Find out more at salvationarmyusa.org/
usn/news/124th_Red_Kettle_Campaign
America's Generous Spirit
NEW NATIONAL
ADVISORY BOARD
CHAIRMAN
M
r. William J. Burke, Senior Vice
President of Marketing with
Nationwide Insurance in Columbus,
Ohio, began his three�year tenure as
Chairman of the Salvation Army National
Advisory Board (NAB) this January, following
his unanimous election by the board last year.
Mr. Burke has been a long-time supporter of
The Salvation Army. He joined the area
advisory board in Columbus, Ohio, in 1996, and
took an active role in volunteering in the Heart-
to-Heart program, preparing and providing
meals on weekend evenings to the homeless in
shelters and on the streets. He was part of the
leadership team that created "Need Knows No
Season," the primary annual fundraising event
for The Salvation Army in Central Ohio.
Mr. Burke joined the National Advisory Board
in 2010.
"The Salvation Army has built one of the
most trusted organizations in the world
because it consistently, effectively and
compassionately delivers basic human services
to those who desperately need them," said Mr.
Burke. "Today, The Salvation Army is
establishing itself with a new generation of
millennials who are making their own mark on
volunteerism and philanthropy."
"I am proud to pass the mantle of National
Advisory Board leadership to Bill," said
outgoing National Advisory Board Chairperson
Charlotte Jones Anderson. "This was a
tremendously meaningful experience for me,
and I know that The Salvation Army will benefit
from Bill's passion, energy and leadership."
of their family," writes Ron
Haskins, co�director of the
Center on Children and Fami-
lies.
There is now widespread
agreement that children living
with single mothers are more
likely to do poorly in school,
to be arrested, to give birth as
a teenager, to have mental
health problems and to go on
welfare as adults. They are
also four to five times more
likely than children living with
their married parents to be in
poverty (www.brookings.
edu).
Not all social trends can be
attributed to cultural dysfunc-
tion and poor individual
choices. "All distinguishable
and historically rooted com-
munities in the U.S. embrace
some practices that are dis-
tinctive, but their daily lives
are driven by the economic
landscapes in which they re-
side," notes Susan Green-
baum, professor emerita of
anthropology at the Univer-
sity of South Florida. It is sim-
plistic to blame those affected
by splintered families. Allevi-
ating problems involves ad-
dressing the economic and
social conditions that give rise
to family disruption.
The Statement on Marriage
by The Salvation Army in the
United States notes that the
Army is "committed to pro-
moting, strengthening and
protecting God's institution of
marriage. Drawing on mar-
riage as the "first institution
ordained by God" (Genesis
2:24), the statement goes on
to say that "Scripture de-
mands abstinence before, and
faithfulness within, marriage ...
Marriage reflects the relation-
ship of Christ and His Church.
It is a loving, mutually re-
spectful union intended for
life (Ephesians 5:21-33). Mar-
riage provides the optimal en-
vironment for the welfare of
children and contributes to
the stability of society."
-- Sources include
Child Trends Databank
(www.childtrends.org)