The Salvation Army of Sacramento is looking for some volunteers to coach in its youth basketball league (13 and under, 10 and under, and 7 and under).   League organizers are seeking individuals with a basketball background and experience managing youth activities. Games are all played at The Salvation Army Ray Robinson Oak Park Community Center (located on the corner of Alhambra and Broadway). For more information, please call 916-469-4620.

“It’s getting cold out here.” Kelsey Cottle uttered this while ringing The Salvation Army bell outside Macy’s at Sunrise Mall.  Yet her fellow bell ringers did not care--they were having the time of their lives. “Yeah, they’re having fun,” Cottle said. Meet Carl Virgin and Eulogio Lizarraga--the jubilant bell ringers. Both have cerebral palsy and are confined to wheelchairs, but they do not let it deter their efforts to give back. “It just a good time for them to get out and people to see them,” said Cottle, who is Carl’s personal attendant through S.T.E.P. (Strategy To Empower People) services. “It’s great that they get to see them so happy and that they can do this (volunteer) like e

Thanksgiving is a holiday for community, sharing and, of course, a bountiful feast. Thanks to several local organizations, even those who aren’t able to afford a turkey dinner with all the trimmings this year can still enjoy a free meal. All are invited to come, fill their plates, and be grateful for warm turkey on a cool November day. Below are nine charities and churches hosting Thanksgiving dinner this week. If you know of any others, please add to the list in the Conversation section. Happy Thanksgiving! Sacramento Loaves & Fishes When: Tuesday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Where: 1321 North C St. 446-0874 Sacramento Loaves & Fishes will serve a Thanksgiving feast, complete with turkey,

Wanted: turkeys or ham. That is what The Salvation Army needs for its upcoming Thanksgiving community meal.  "We need some additional donation so we can feed anyone looking for a hot meal this Thanksgiving," said Captain Hendrk Sumter, Salvation Army Sacramento County Coordinator.  "Every bit helps when we are serving a lot of people." More than 500 are expected to come to The Salvation Army Emergency Shelter in downtown Sacramento for the annual free meal.  The donated meat will used for that day and to feed the clients from the shelter program. Last week, California State Automobile Association of Northern California helped the cause by donating 31 turkeys.  Information about how to

The Salvation Army officially opened its new E. Claire Raley Transitional Living Complex on September 20. The 35-unit center, located near I-80 and Watt Ave., will house families who were homeless. Each family had qualified for this housing program through The Salvation Army’s Family Service Department. All participating families may live in the units from six months to two years. Case workers will work constantly with each program participant to find permanent housing and employment. The living complex is also a clean and sober program. For those who have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, recovery and prevention meetings will be available to them. The new program is a blessing for 32

“There was a lot of weed growing. It was really dirty.” That is the way 16-year-old Brianna described the playground area at The Salvation Army Oak Park campus. “Just didn’t look good,” she said. But that changed on Saturday when Brianna and nearly 20 other youngsters from The Salvation Army youth, church and education programs volunteered to help spruce things up. In a community event called “Together We Grow”, the kids, along with Salvation Army staff and other volunteers, worked collectively to take out the weeds, plant vegetable seeds and clean up all of the playground area. “We’re giving young people a good example of working together,” Luisa Lose, Salvation Army community center

The Salvation Army of Sacramento County is looking for volunteers on Friday, July 29 and Thursday, August 4 to help with the set-up of its new transitional housing facility.  The 35-unit complex, located near I-80 and Watt Ave., will provide reduced-cost transitional housing for working families with children. Volunteers are needed to help unload boxes of furniture, move them into the units, assemble beds and tables, and collect packaging for recycling. The weather will be warm, but there is a lot of shade outside and air conditioning inside!  Lunch will be provided along with plenty of cold water. Dress: Volunteers must wear closed toed rubber soled shoes. No flip flops or sandals, pl

A German delegation came to volunteer at The Salvation Army’s Family Services facility in Sacramento on June 30. The visit was set up by the Northern California World Trade Center, which is hosting the three member party. The group is made up of two state parliament members, Markus Blume and Roland Theis, and the mayor of the town Monheim am Rhein, Daniel Zimmermann. They, along with nine other volunteers, spent nearly two hours creating 342 food boxes in the Salvation Army warehouse. “People here (the volunteers) are really excited to contribute and help others,” said Blume, member of the Bavarian State Parliament. “We’re really happy to come out and help in some way.” Sacramento was t

Today, the kids from The Salvation Army’s day care and summer day camp programs had a chance to see Stuart Little. Not the movie, but an actual live production, performed by the American River College Theatre Arts Department. The performance took place at the Salvation Army’s Oak Park campus. “It’s great that we can bring this to a warm and friendly environment,” said Tracy Martin Shearer, director of the play. “That’s the thing about the arts; it brings joy, entertainment, education and excitement.  We often find that more than half of children watching had not seen a play until our performance." The latest presentation was part of the theatre arts department’s “Children’s Theatre Tour

After nine months of construction, The Salvation Army opened the doors to its new Child Development Center in Oak Park today. The education facility is two stories high and nearly 14,000 sq ft, and it is the home for The Army’s day care and after-school programs. “To see this come into reality is incredible,” said David Bentley, Salvation Army Sacramento County Coordinator. “We have a new education building that can make a real impact for many families in our area.” The Child Development Center replaces an old 2,400 sq ft modular building that used to house the day care program for 24 years. A capital campaign was started in 2008 to raise the necessary funds for the construction of a ne

“This suit is not bad.” Theoplus Dubose-Harvey was searching for some new work clothes on Saturday. He hoped to find the right business suit for the next job interview. “See, I got some shoes to go along with that,” he said. Dubose-Harvey believes the new attire will help change his life.  Because right now, he is unemployed and homeless. “Times are tough, “said Dubose-Harvey, a 55-year-old former state worker. “That’s why I appreciate the help I got here.” The assistance he is speaking of was the fourth annual Homeless Connect on May 21 at Sacramento City College. Dubose-Harvey was one of nearly 1,000 homeless individuals and families who attended this direct service fair. “I’m than

Spring break is usually associated with traveling and having fun. Well, a group of college students took that concept to a whole another level. Twenty-five students from the Energy Service Corps spent their time off to help weatherize different facilities throughout the state of California. The latest was a stop at The Salvation Army Center of Hope shelter in downtown Sacramento on March 25. “We decided to come here because they (Salvation Army) have done so much for the community,” said Abbygail Williams, Energy Service Corps member and UC Davis student. “The students just wanted to give them back something in return.” This weatherization event was part of the Energy Alternative Sprin

“This helps me a lot.” Charmar Randle was grateful for the assistance she just received. She was one of 1,600 families to receive food and other essentials from the January 18 Feed The Children distribution at Cal Expo. “The economy is so bad and that’s why you see so many families out here,” said Randle, a Sacramento resident. “It’s good that they are having this (distribution) right now in order to help those who are in need.” Feed The Children, an international relief organization, delivered four semi tractor-trailers full of food and other products to the event. The distribution was part of Feed The Children’s Americans Feeding Americans Caravan, which has helped more than 200,000 f

For the fourth year, PODS Sacramento provided the sleighs for Santa, teaming up with News 10 Coats for Kids, Chips for Kids, Toys For Tots and the Salvation Army to donate $8,500 in logistics and storage containers. PODS Sacramento, part of the PODS Enterprises, Inc. national franchise network, donated logistics services and 29 portable storage containers to several local nonprofits this holiday season, allowing organizers to concentrate on fundraising efforts instead of expenses. Over the holidays, from November through December, PODS Sacramento supported News10 Coats for Kids Winter Coat Drive, Chips for Kids Toy Drive, Toys For Tots and the Salvation Army local chapters. It is the fou

With the city and county of Sacramento still in the depths of recession, 2010 saw a focus on homelessness as services were cut and unemployment was at 13 percent. An ongoing issue with Sacramento’s homeless that was still not seeing notable progress even as the year ended was the Safe Ground movement, which seeks to find designated spots in the city for homeless to camp. In April, about 50 people spoke at City Hall advocating for Safe Ground Sacramento. They were still at it in July, and they remained a presence at Tuesday night City Council meetings. In a controversial move, the City Council changed its public comment portion from the beginning of the meetings to the end, which many s

The 20th annual Coats for Kids coat giveaway was held at Cal Expo today. Swanson’s Cleaners, ABC News 10, The Salvation Army and a local The UPS Store partnered to collect and distribute the coats. Sacramento resident Mike Hainline attended the event to get a new coat. He has been collecting unemployment for almost two years. “The economy has a lot to do with it, that’s why I came out here,” Hainline said. “I’ve donated coats in the past. I actually received one this year. It helps out to have an extra jacket, plus I got a waterproof one now,” JoAnn Lemmon is the governor of the North Sacramento Rotary Club. She volunteered her time to help at the event.
 “I wish we had more coats. I t

During the current “season of giving,” many well-known volunteering opportunities – including helping at Loaves & Fishes, The Ronald McDonald House and Women Escaping a Violent Environment – already have enough volunteers for the Christmas holiday. But those involved with charitable work all year say that the need will continue well beyond the holidays. However, if you’re set on volunteering during the holidays, The Salvation Army still has opportunities. “We’re ramping up for our Coats for Kids drive,” said Salvation Army spokesman Sydney Fong. “Our big day is Dec. 30.” Fong said the distribution will be held then at the California Exposition and State Fair. In addition to needing v

“This is amazing!” That was the reaction Major Jeanne Stromberg had when The Salvation Army of Sacramento received a check of $80,000 from the Sacramento Association of REALTORS Christmas CanTree. The check presentation was made during the CanTree’s annual dedication breakfast on December 7. The CanTree committee raised the money throughout the whole year by utilizing various fundraisers. “We wanted to do our very best for The Salvation Army,” said CanTree committee chair Tim McGuire. “The committee tried plenty of fundraisers like a crab feed and a wine tasting event. We worked hard and didn’t stop until we got to the goal that we had set.” The donation was $15,000 more than last year

An early bout of severe weather will hit Sacramento tonight through Wednesday night, endangering the lives of the approximately 1,200 homeless men, women and children sleeping outside in Sacramento County. The next three days will see lows of 28 degrees to 30 degrees, with rain forecasted for this evening. Due to the projected low temperatures, warming centers are being activated for Tuesday, November 23,  Wednesday, November 24, and Thursday, November 25, 2010. Open warming centers are: -Volunteers of America A Street Shelter (1400 North A Street, next door to TLCS Guest House: Men only -Salvation Army Shelter (12th & North B Street): Women and Men, 18 years + -Union Gospel Mission

The Salvation Army in Sacramento received more than 700 pounds of frozen turkeys from California State Automobile Association of Northern California on November 11. The turkeys were delivered to The Salvation Army’s B Street Center of Hope emergency shelter in downtown Sacramento. The donation was part of AAA’s annual Thanksgiving turkey delivery project, an effort to help meet the needs of various communities during the holiday season. More than 10 tons of turkeys were distributed by AAA to 26 Northern California, Nevada and Utah non-profits. “Our point of view is to give back to the communities we’re serving,” said Greg Jennings, AAA district sales manager. “The Salvation Army does a v