DOING THE MOST GOOD

Written by JEFFREY WARD    |   Photos Courtesy of THE SALVATION ARMY

Most shoppers equate The Salvation Army solely with its holiday volunteers who ring bells at red kettle donation sites in front of big box stores. But the nonprofit organization is so much more than that.

Active in Coweta County since 1996, The Salvation Army’s maxim is “Doing The Most Good.” Managing Director Heather Creech says that 87% of each dollar raised goes back into the local community, reflecting Salvation Army’s model as a lean and efficient organization.

At the donation intake area of Newnan’s Salvation Army Service Center, located at 670 Jefferson Street Extension, a mountain-sized pile of donated clothing items waits to be sorted. Quipped the director, “I just call that job security.” 

Creech has been at her post for eight years.

“My children were grown, and I was looking for community service work,” she recalls. “I began learning from the ground up as a volunteer and then worked as the family store cashier and in the food pantry, with community service, and as donation intake processor.”

According to Creech, the survival and success of the Salvation Army service center depends on hardworking volunteers, the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization.

The personality of the Salvation Army Service Center is quietly busy, never calling attention to itself, mirroring the image of the entire Christian thrust of the organization.

The Salvation Army was founded in East London in 1865 as a predominantly Christian evangelical outreach. More than 150 years later, the global nonprofit remains true to its model: Nobody who needs help is turned away, regardless of their background or circumstances.

The Newnan Service Center helps people with utility bills, gives out laundry vouchers, assists with prescriptions, and helps the Newnan Police Department locate, keep track of, and help the homeless in the community. During the holidays, the Salvation Army conducts its popular Angel Tree ministry, donating gifts to needy children. The local Center networks with other outreach organizations to serve the community by assuring that none go without vital essentials.

The Salvation Army’s most lucrative fundraiser, its iconic red kettle program usually begins on Nov. 1 with volunteer bell ringers located at most big box stores throughout Coweta County, according to Creech. 

An important addition to Newnan’s Salvation Army is its Rapid Response Unit (RRU). A marvel of design, the vehicle has the capacity to carry 800 prepared meals, 550 bottles of water and six gallons of coffee to support the community after manmade or natural disaster, according to Creech.

The vehicle itself is compact, which enables it to access storm-damaged areas that a larger truck or van could not reach. Manned by Salvation Army personnel, the RRU has responded to several major storms, including last year’s tornado. It was among the first relief vehicles on the scene after the March 26 storm, according to Langer, who drove the RRU to the most severely damaged areas in Newnan.

“Navigating the roads was near impossible because of downed trees, wires and debris,” she recalls. “We were the first team to arrive that delivered food, water and batteries.”

While adequate for Coweta County’s population when it opened 26 years ago, the Service Center is now in need of expansion due to the county’s explosive growth, according to Creech, who says The Salvation Army has purchased the vacant lot next door and completed an expansion feasibility study.

Utilizing time-tested Biblical guidelines, The Salvation Army prefers to raise money upfront, according to Creech, who says the project will cost close to $3 million, and a capital campaign is planned to help raise funds. NCM