Why the Salvation Army

A history of supporting New Yorkers in crisis

“Mr. Citizen, temporarily embarrassed, the Salvation Army understands — and is your friend. Every Salvationist is pledged to extend to you, during these anxious times, as always, the right hand of aid and fellowship.”

Salvation Army Magazine, October 1931

More and more New Yorkers are turning to social service agencies for survival, but many of New York’s social services programs have faltered due to budget cuts and daunting levels of demand.

The Salvation Army is here to fill these gaps and to shore up New York communities through the recession and its long-term effects.

For more than 130 years, the men and women of The Salvation Army have committed themselves to serving others and have touched the lives of millions of New Yorkers through our Christian-based mission

With the help of generous volunteers and donors, we have built a strong reputation as the organization that serves those who are struggling most, especially in times of extreme hardship. When impoverished men and women have no one else to turn to, we are their last resort.

• During the Great Depression individuals and families turned to The Salvation Army in overwhelming numbers for help meeting their basic needs. In Greater New York alone, we provided 100,000 meals and 25,000 nights of lodging every week to the area’s most vulnerable residents.
• After 9/11, we were one of the largest meal providers during clean-up efforts at Ground Zero. We oversaw an eleven-month feeding and hydration operation for all workers, staffed round- the-clock by trained emotional and spiritual care teams.
• Following Hurricane Katrina, the Army helped refugees who arrived in New York find housing and rebuild their lives. In fact, we were the only organization in New York City that provided services up until September 30th, 2008 — three years after the storm decimated the Gulf Coast.

Today, we face a crisis of historic importance, on the same level as our nation’s worst natural, economic, and war-time emergencies.

We are committed to unearthing the resources necessary to provide relief in this critical time. We know we must see our suffering neighbors through this crisis, no matter how long it takes.