Left to right: David Feeser, Development Specialist for Denton and Collin Counties for the Salvation Army of North Texas, and Greg Laffey from the Kiwanis Club Robson Ranch
At a recent meeting, the Kiwanis Club Robson Ranch received an inspiring message from the Salvation Army of North Texas. The presentation was made by David Feeser, Development Specialist for Denton and Collin Counties. David has been a Salvation Army officer for 26 years, serving in several communities across the country.
David provided a history of the Salvation Army, dating back to 1865 in London, England. From this meager beginning, the Salvation Army has grown to serve people in 132 countries and has a worldwide membership of 1.7 million people.
Some highlights at the local level where the Denton program impacts include: The Angel Tree in 2022 provided over 500 families, with 1,551 children receiving Christmas gifts; overnight emergency warming shelters and cooling shelters were provided; mid-day meals served six days a week, with 27,097 meals provided in 2022; and the food pantry served 1,015 households. The Salvation Army also provided street side portable showers for the homeless and other Denton programs, including Worship, Sunday School, Women’s Bible Study, Family Events, and Vacation Bible School.
Across North Texas, the Salvation Army of North Texas has 21 service locations, including 13 food pantries, six shelter/housing programs, and three recovery programs.
The Kiwanis Club Robson Ranch members participate annually in the Red Kettle bell ringing program whose origin dates back to 1891. Each year at Christmas time, members volunteer to ring the bells at a local Kroger store. Members work two-hour shifts covering eight days. In this past season, the club members accounted for $5,000 in Red Kettle contributions, which is annually the highest amount in the county.
The Kiwanis Club Robson Ranch provided a contribution to the Salvation Army at the meeting. The club encourages all fellow residents of Robson Ranch to check out the Salvation Army of North Texas website, salvationarmyntx.org.