In 1865, William Booth began the ministry that would become The Salvation Army to help people living in appalling poverty within London’s East End. Furnished with uniforms, a flag, a brass band and military music, The Salvation Army met in tents, theaters, dance halls—anywhere there were people who needed assistance.
Although organized like soldiers, their war was not against people. Their enemies were suffering, hunger, poverty, alcoholism and despair. By recognizing the interdependence of material, emotional and spiritual needs, the Army was able to provide dignity and hope to the hopeless. In doing so, it set a new pattern for social welfare.
The Salvation Army has functioned successfully for more than a century. Its outreach has expanded to include 106 countries where the Gospel is preached in 160 languages. Throughout, the basic social services developed by William Booth have remained and new programs that address contemporary needs have been added. Among these are disaster relief services, day care centers, summer camps, holiday assistance, services for senior citizens, housing for the homeless, family and career counseling, correctional services, and drug rehabilitation.
With the help of generous donors and volunteers, The Salvation Army continues its fight against poverty and plight. No one in need is turned away, regardless of race, color, creed, sex or age. And always, the Army’s motivation is faith in God and love for all mankind.
To learn more, visit The Salvation Army National Headquarters site.
History of The Salvation Army Kettle
Especially in the month of December, you may feel you are all too familiar with the Christmas kettle. Even so, how much do you know about how it came into being?
The kettle’s career as a fundraiser began in 1891. That’s when Captain Joseph McFee resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner to the poor of San Francisco. But how would he pay for the food?
Then, from his days as a sailor in Liverpool, England, the captain remembered a large pot displayed on the Stage Landing, called “Simpson’s Pot.” Passersby tossed charitable donations into the pot. The captain received permission from city authorities to place a crab pot and tripod at the Oakland ferry landing at the foot of San Francisco’s Market Place. The kettle--and McFee’s request to “Keep the Pot Boiling!”--drew a lot of attention from ferry passengers. So began a tradition that spread throughout the United States, then the world
By 1895, thirty Salvation Army corps on the West Coast used the kettle. Two young Salvation Army officers, William A. McIntyre and N.J. Lewis, took the idea with them to the East Coast. In 1897, McIntyre based his Christmas plans for Boston around the kettle. Other Army officers did not want to participate for fear of “making spectacles of themselves.” So McIntyre, his wife and sister set up three kettles in the heart of the city. That year, the kettle effort in Boston and other locations nationwide resulted in 150,000 Christmas dinners for the needy.
In 1898, The New York World hailed The Salvation Army kettles as “the newest and most novel device for collecting money.” In 1901, kettle contributions in New York City provided funds for the first mammoth sit-down dinner in Madison Square Garden, a custom that continued for many years. Today, families are often given grocery checks or food baskets so they can prepare dinners at home. The homeless poor are still invited to share holiday dinners and festivities at hundreds of Salvation Army centers.
Kettles now are used around the world, including Japan, Chile and Europe. Public contributions to the kettles enable The Salvation Army to bring the spirit of Christmas to the aged and lonely, ill, poor and disadvantaged, inmates of jails and other institutions--people otherwise often forgotten. Last year, The Salvation Army in the United States aided nearly 5 million people at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Kettles have changed since that crab pot in San Francisco. Today, some kettles have such devices as a self-ringing bell, a booth with a system that broadcasts Christmas carols, even the capability to accept credit card donations! Whatever the innovation, though, the message--”Doing the Most Good”--still supports this enduring program.