As a member of the Berrien Springs-Eau Claire Rotary Club, I became a volunteer bell ringer for the Niles Salvation Army and I just got off my two-hour shift ringing the bell at the Berrien Springs Harding’s grocery store.

If you like to say “Merry Christmas” several times a minute, this is the perfect volunteer job for you!  Everyone wished me “Merry Christmas” in return and it made me feel great!

But it’s the Salvation Army and the communities it serves that benefits the most from all the volunteer bell-ringers all across the country, and in our own front yard.

The local Salvation Army was in the news recently for a number of reasons.  On Friday night, Dec. 5, a passenger on the Amtrak train from Chicago began stabbing his fellow passengers as the train pulled into the Niles station.  He was immediately captured by a local Niles police officer who stunned the knife-wielding man with a Taser.  That officer has been highly commended in the national news recently for reacting with his Taser rather than fire a gun into the crowded train car.

But what happened to all the passengers who became stranded as they were debriefed by local law enforcement and the train was held for several hours as a crime scene?

Moments after the police arrived at the train station, the Niles Salvation Army Disaster Assistance truck pulled up and began assisting the stunned passengers.  Some needed some spiritual counseling because of the trauma on the train, and others needed help in getting to their final destination.  Many were fed and comforted throughout the evening by members of the Salvation Army.  The Salvation Army served the displaced passengers until the very last passenger left the station.

As the Niles Salvation Army was busy serving the passengers, something else was going on behind the scenes that illustrate the appreciation and importance the community shows for this organization.

The students of Niles High School have been working with the Salvation Army every Christmas since 2008 raising money and buying toys for the Salvation Army’s Toy Shop.  Partnering with Walmart, the Niles students and the Salvation Army collected hundreds of brand new toys for kids, and games, clothing and personal items for teens.  A silent auction and a raffle were held in conjunction with the Niles Vikings’ basketball games earlier this month.

The Salvation Army, located at 424 North 15th Street in Niles, not only provides spiritual support and citizen care, but at this time of year it offers a Christmas Toy Shop for our young people in need, and throughout the year the Salvation army provides a soup kitchen and food pantry for needy citizens, including rent and utilities assistance, and many other services for those in need.

 

You can learn more about the many blessings of the Salvation Army-Niles by visiting their website at www.SANiles.org.  They can always use your support, not just at Christmas!