November 9, 2022- Community members gathered at the Decatur Salvation Army’s community center for the 2022 Christmas season’s kickoff event.
The Salvation Army’s Christmas campaign is one of the biggest campaigns the Salvation Army hosts. Its campaign helps make Christmas a special time for families in need.
Every Christmas season has a theme, and this year the theme is “Love Beyond”. This year is a bit unique as the theme is not just for the Christmas season, but for the entire 2022 year.
“It’s been our theme all year long, and I love that, because it’s not just about showing love during people’s hardship,” Kyle Karsten, Development Director for the Salvation Army said. It’s not just about showing love at Christmas. Although, that’s super important. Everything that we do is permeated by caring about someone else, loving them. Physical. Needs being met, and showing love in that way. If that’s what drives the mission of the Salvation Army, that will drive at the time of Christmas but it will drive beyond Christmas. So that love beyond is a constant reminder that no matter what we are doing now we want to love and make sure that goes beyond anything we are doing at that time.”
Attendees at the Christmas kickoff event were informed of the upcoming Christmas events and volunteer opportunities. In addition, they were introduced to the Salvation Army’s 2022 Christmas season chairs, Dr. Jeremy & Dr. Juanita Morris.
The Morrises are heavily involved in the Decatur community, and are co-hosts of Thee Morris Code on Neuhoff Media’s WSOY 1340 AM/103.3 FM stations.
While their love for the Decatur community played a huge role in them accepting the honor of serving as Christmas chairs, it is also Dr. Juanita Morris’s personal connection to the Salvation Army that led the couple to this decision.
“I like to say that I am one generation removed from poverty,” Dr. Juanita Morris said. “Which means that it is real to me. My family was here. I remember Longview. I remember the center of downtown as it looked very very different. My family utilized the services of Salvation Army when I was growing up, to make sure my mother and her siblings had a Christmas. So thank you for having us and thank you for this opportunity.”
As chairs, the two also took time to give a brief rundown of some of the upcoming events this Christmas season.
When one thinks of the Salvation Army and Christmas, red kettle bell ringing is typically the first thing that comes to mind, but there is so much more to the Christmas season. Including events such as “A Salvation Army Christmas” music concert; Red Kettle Dinner gala; Spirit of Giving Toy Drive; Gurneys, Guns, & Hoses; and more.
Through these fundraising events and donations, the salvation Army can reach their fundraising goal of $600,000. All of the dollars will stay in the Decatur community and will be utilized in a manner that helps provide stability and sets up a path towards self sufficiency for families in need.
“All of this is made possible because of the support from the residents of Decatur and Macon County,” Dr. Jeremy Morris said. “We know there continues to be real need in our community, especially during the challenges following the pandemic and now as we all see higher prices in the grocery stores and at the gas pumps. Today, we say thank you to those that come alongside the salvation Army, to offer their assistance and support. The Salvation Army can not do it alone. They need our help. My family and I support, we support the Salvation Army because we know the money donated in this community stays in this local community to assist our friends and neighbors here in Macon County.”
While the fundraising goal is $600,000, the true goal is to help people in this community reach a level of self-sufficiency. The money donated to the Salvation Army contributes to that goal.
“The way that we do this is with community,” Dr. Juanita Morris said. “We don’t do this for community. We are not doing our community a favor, but we do this with our community. The goal is to make sure the people who are living in our community are able to have a sustainable life. That is the goal.
Here are some ways you can contribute to this goal, along with your community, during the Christmas season.
Set up your own Virtual Kettle or scan our QR Code
Host a Red Kettle & ring bells at your event at school, church, or your business
Help take family toy & food applications
Donate toys/ Host your own Angel Tree to collect toys
Help organize & Distribute toys at the toy shop
Help distribute Special Christmas Food Support
To follow along with the Salvation Army’s Christmas Season’s mission, follow the Facebook page.
The Salvation Army’s next event for the Christmas season will be the benefit music concert, “A Salvation Army Christmas” The event will be held on Sunday, November 13th, at Tabernacle Baptist Church at 2:00 p.m.
