The Salvation Army may be best known for its holiday bell-ringing but the faith-based nonprofit has always embraced a variety of roles.
“We wear a lot of hats, I would say. One day we might be helping a family obtain housing, and one day we might be teaching a child guitar. So, every day looks a little bit different for us,” Vancouver Corps Capt. Angela Morrow said.
Most recently, the organization has concentrated its efforts on addressing three critical areas in Clark County: the housing crisis, food insecurity and resources for at-risk youth — areas the Vancouver Corps has identified an increased need for services.
Through its rental assistance program, the nonprofit provides families with cash assistance to help pay rent and other expenses related to housing. In 2024, 148 families received rental assistance through the program.
How to Help
Although the holiday season has ended, the Salvation Army’s fundraising efforts haven’t. Year-round fundraising has begun at northwest.salvationarmy.org.
Donations made online are allocated to the area associated with the credit card’s ZIP code, so funds always serve a donor’s community.
To donate virtually to The Salvation Army in Vancouver, visit vancouverredkettle.org.
The rental assistance line is open every Tuesday starting at 9 a.m. for community members to call and inquire about available funding.
“Some people may need The Salvation Army for a relatively short time and some people need to walk with them longer. But it’s that idea that we’re with you until we can get you into stable living and be consistent with Salvation Army programming,” Northwest Divisional Cmdr. Lt. Col. Cindy Foley said.
Closing the gap
But cash-based programs like rental assistance are contingent on the amount of money raised. So when fundraising efforts fall short, programs like rental assistance suffer the most.
Throughout the holiday season, The Salvation Army experienced a significant deficit in donations across the Northwest Division, which encompasses Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana.
In early December, donations were down 50 percent, and Vancouver, in particular, was in need of additional support to provide families with holiday meals, toys and rental assistance.
“We had to put out a strong media message, a strong call to action, that if we don’t turn this around, there’s going to be services cut in local communities all across the Northwest,” Foley said.
The nonprofit closed that gap to about 30 percent a week before Christmas, but smaller communities, such as Lewiston, Idaho, were still down 60 percent at the end of the fundraising season.
Vancouver ended the holiday season with a 24 percent fundraising deficit — about $40,000. Morrow believes the dip in contributions could be attributed to the financial pinch many people in the community are feeling. Financial hardships, paired with a decline in volunteers, could have caused fewer people to donate, she said.
In the past, the nonprofit has had to turn people away due to a lack of cash-based resources.
That doesn’t mean The Salvation Army won’t do everything in its power to point people in the right direction, Morrow said.
“We have had to turn families away, but our caseworker right now reaches out to the family personally. They’re not getting a voicemail or an email, but she calls them personally and refers them to other agencies that can help them,” Morrow said. “It doesn’t stop with us. We’re still trying to continue to help them.”
‘Doing the most good’
Morrow, along with her husband, John, are the Corps officers of The Salvation Army’s Vancouver branch. As a child, Morrow participated in The Salvation Army’s programs and decided she wanted to give back. She and her husband graduated from The Salvations Army’s training college in 2011 and have been serving at the Vancouver branch since 2019.
In an effort to centralize, The Salvation Army built a Vancouver campus at 11018 N.E. 14th St., which was completed in 2019. The church next door, where Morrow and her husband are pastors, was remodeled around the same time.
“The goal was to put everything onto one campus,” Morrow said. “It is more centralized and based on where the most need is. But there really is a need everywhere.”
On a brisk Wednesday afternoon, students from Fircrest Elementary School chased each other on the grass of the nonprofit’s Vancouver campus.
Despite the cold, they played tag and drew on the concrete with chalk.
They’re part of The Salvation Army’s SAY Klub, a free after-school program for at-risk youth.
The SAY Klub, or Salvation Army Youth Klub, receives recommendations from school counselors for kids who are at risk of being home alone, behind academically or without adequate supervision, according to the nonprofit’s website.
The program includes education, enrichment experiences, personal enhancement, character building, health and safety services, music and whole family support.
“Our three signature programs are where we’re seeing the most need right now: housing, food insecurity and safe after-school care,” Morrow said.
‘Dignity to choose’
Throughout the year, The Salvation Army serves more than 600,000 people across its Northwest Division.
Foley said food assistance is the fastest growing program, underscoring the need for food resources within Clark County.
Within the past two years, The Salvation Army’s services dedicated to feeding people increased 40 percent. That percentage is higher than the nonprofit reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Foley.
“The fastest growing program we have, unfortunately, is the increase in people facing food insecurity,” Foley said. “That’s something that people could not predict in the nonprofit world: that food assistance would be growing at such a fast pace post-COVID.”
In Vancouver, The Salvation Army serves anywhere from 80 to 100 families a day through its food pantry. Last year, the food pantry served more than 29,000 people.
All Washington residents have access to the food pantry, which is open every weekday besides Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Residents can come shop for food as they would at a traditional grocery store.
“When someone comes to The Salvation Army for help, that’s not always the best day of their life,” Foley said. “So if you can come in and feel empowered to make decisions and feel just like everybody else, that’s an important gift we can give you.”
The Salvation Army partners with other local organizations, such as the Clark County Food Bank, Trader Joe’s, Chick-fil-A and Walk & Knock, to provide fresh, culturally relevant food.
The food pantry also provides diapers and other household items.
“When they can come through our food pantry and have the dignity to choose what they do and don’t eat, it just gives them a choice,” Morrow said. “We’ve been able to collaborate with them to get some of those foods for people of diverse cultures so they have options as well.”