Here’s something about beginnings that may or may not interest you.
Right now, if you were to Google holidays in April, you’d be met with not just Easter, but a lot of various holidays.
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It’s something that I didn’t realize until I was working a previous job, basically, every day of the year is signified by something. As I was searching for a topic to discuss this week, I did exactly as I described. I Googled holidays in April and found out that April 10 is Salvation Army Founder’s Day.
The history of the Salvation Army dates back quite far, notably William Booth, a preacher in the U.K. started the movement.
In 1865, Booth preached to crowds outside the Blind Beggar pub and The Christian Mission was born. He would preach and also address the material needs of people. Just over a decade later in 1878, the mission was renamed to The Salvation Army.
I came across a story in the regional archives, which got me thinking about the history of our local Salvation Army. They arrived in town in April 1920, with their first hall opening the following month in a converted grocery store. The first First Officer of the Lloydminster Corps was Capt. Evelyn Gain, assisted by Pro-Lt. Margaret Stratton.
Unfortunately, the great fire didn’t spare the Salvation Army as their building was burned. All that was saved was the flag and the drum.
Years went by, and in 1961, they had a new building. Regionally, in 1976, the Vermilion corps closed and amalgamated with Lloydminster.
Fast forward to the story I was watching, the Salvation Army celebrated 90 years of operation with a sale at their thrift store and facepainting for kids.
Looking back now, they’ve been in operation in Lloyd for 106 years and have helped countless families ensure they can make ends meet or have clothes to wear.
In an interview in the story by the local TV station, the Salvation Army representative said, “You don’t know when a hard time is going to hit.”
Having talked to so many non-profits in the area, I hear that a lot. Families, individuals, could be just one bad day away from needing to access those services.
I’ll be thinking about the Salvation Army on April 10 and remembering their story and what they do for Lloyd.
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