Food baskets and toys will be distributed by the Salvation Army on Friday Dec. 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. as part of the Miracle on Manchester Season of Giving, which runs from Nov. 1 to Christmas.
“For Christmas we are set to serve 1,000 children through the Toy and Joy Center which includes roughly 600 families and we are excited about that.” Salvation Army Corps Ministry Leader Lt. Christopher Golden said. “We served a lot of families last year and this year they will come in and be able to shop for two toys for their child, get a food box and a Christmas blessing.”
The Christmas outreach event will take place at the Inglewood location at 324 E. Queen St. in Inglewood. The Inglewood Citadel works with several communities including Culver City, Lennox, Westchester, Gardena, El Segundo, and several parts of Los Angeles.
“We do a lot from this office and serve a lot of different people,” Golden said. “We try to have a presence in all of those communities even though our office is located here in Inglewood. Sometimes people are reluctant to provide that [proof of income/hardship] information but in order to receive many of our services we have to understand that people are really in need.”
For Thanksgiving the Inglewood Citadel helped and served 847 clients in a two-day period. The first day they were able provide 375 turkeys and food boxes for individuals. The following day was the community feeding where the Salvation Army set up tables, table clothes, napkins, and served a turkey dinner out of their Inglewood office.
“Our motto is to do the most good and I feel that we are doing it all the time,” Golden said.
Each person receiving food and clothes on Friday has previously registered and has been allotted a time throughout the day to go in and obtain their items. While the Salvation Army prefers that everyone receiving a food basket and toys register, they do their best with extra items to help those unable to register.
“We don’t traditionally help walk-ups but it is not to say we won’t help,” Golden said. “I hate to tell people no: it is never a good feeling but sometimes things are beyond our control but we do everything we can.”
Golden and everyone at the Salvation Army Inglewood Citadel Corps work year round to operate programs such as their daily lunch program which serves 75 people Monday through Friday. There is also the Emergency Food Pantry Program which will resume on Jan. 5, 2015 and which helps people who qualify every 30 days. There are also programs for kids such as the Tuesday Night Music where children are trained in a musical instrument during the school year. For working families, the Salvation Army also provides their Spring Break Day Care at a low cost [$60 a week], which includes two field trips, breakfast and lunch. They also offer a seven-week summer day camp program [$65], which includes breakfast and lunch as well as two field trips. This and more is available alongside the church services and Bible study component, which is at the core values of the Salvation Army.
“We have a responsibility to our donors who are giving money. They want to see that we are helping people that are in need,” Golden said. “People have to prove hardship and that is how it is at many agencies. We don’t retain that information and it’s only used during our monthly emergency food pantry program.”
It is too late to register to benefit from this year’s Miracle on Manchester Season of Giving but persons interested can still donate by calling Golden or Brenda Ogilvie at (310) 677- 3375. Persons interested can also email Golden at Christopher.golden@usw.salvationarmy.org.
“Money is always needed and people get to see, and we invite people to see, where their dollars go,” Golden said. “We are able to show our community and donors what we are doing. We visit seniors all the time, especially the shut in so that they know they aren’t forgotten.”
