Britt Fairchild | Posted: Tuesday, December 28, 2004 12:00 am
Features Writer
Captains Eric and Adriana Bradley know how vital a role The Salvation Army can play in the life of a community.
During the three years they/ve headed The Salvation Army in Santa Maria, they/ve witnessed astonishing triumphs over poverty, disillusionment and hopelessness.
In some cases, supplying groceries, a hot meal, or advice on how to decrease home utility bills made the difference.
In others, prayer, and a strengthening of faith 77 or introduction to it 77 were needed.
Regardless of someone/s situation, though, The Salvation Army bases its charity on an unwavering foundation of dignity, where understanding and respect are afforded to all.
"I/d like to think there/s a difference between us and other social service nonprofits," said Adriana, noting clients have shared stories of their negative experiences with other organizations. "We could really make or break the hope people have."
Adriana remembers as a child the respect given to her and her mother while receiving assistance from The Salvation Army in Escondido. At the time, Adriana also participated in the center/s after-school program.
That positive experience made a lasting impression, and prompted the 27-year-old to seek a life of service with The Salvation Army.
Eric, 33, also was introduced to a life of Salvation Army service at an early age. He is the fourth generation in his family to hold office with the organization.
"It/s been in my family a long time," he said.
Together, the couple 77 who/ve been married almost eight years and have three children, Grace, 4, Samuel, 3, and Benjamin, 1 77 oversees the functioning of the local Salvation Army.
Besides its more visible programs such as serving a noon-time meal each weekday at its center at 402 S. Miller St., and its annual red kettle Christmas campaign, the Santa Maria charity also helps the underserved in countless other ways that can be difficult to categorize.
"You can/t put it on a form, /We provide blank, if you don/t have any money,/" said Adriana, noting transportation to doctors/ appointments is one such example.
Another example: providing a woman with two gifts they received as donations so that she could give them to her teenage daughter for her birthday. The woman came to the center for help, as she didn/t have any extra money to buy a gift herself.
On the second Sunday of the month, the Bradleys and members of The Salvation Army/s Community Caring Ministries visit local hospitals and health care facilities to provide friendship and fellowship.
With stories like these, coupled with a lifestyle that doesn/t always afford a routine schedule, Erica and Adriana said they try to maintain perspective.
"It/s a challenge. (But) just because it/s hard doesn/t mean we don/t do it," Adriana said. "We/re choosing to live our lives in service."
That service, said Adriana, who a couple of times referred to herself and her husband as missionaries, brings them a great sense of peace knowing that in serving others, they are ultimately serving God.
While many may recognize The Salvation Army for its charity, some may not know the history of its roots as a Christian organization.
The Salvation Army is an international movement and an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church. Its mission is to preach the word of Jesus and meet human needs in his name without discrimination. The nonprofit was founded in 1865 as an Evangelical Christian Mission in London, England, by William Booth, who was at the time a Methodist minister. It became known as The Salvation Army in 1878 to correlate with its recently adopted quasi-military style and attitude. Members of the Salvation Army came to the United States beginning in 1880.
Locally, The Salvation Army holds weekly church services, which are open to all of the clients who receive assistance there.
Eric said prayer is one of the main components of their work.
"It/s a way to bring hope into their lives," he said. "(Through prayer) we/ve seen people healed from cancer, neurological disorders."
As 2004 comes to a close, the Bradleys and Salvation Army staff are looking ahead to January, when it will open a youth drop-in center at the South Miller location. The center will be a safe place for Santa Maria children and teens to go after school, to get help with their homework and socialize with others, participate in character-building classes and also arts and crafts, cooking lessons, and other activities.
These are the types of things Adriana remembers about her childhood experience at The Salvation Army.
"It was the first place I ate spaghetti," she recalled.
It was also the place where she first learned how to play Monopoly, Twister, Sorry and other games 77 games she said she wouldn/t have been able to play with her parents.
"The need (for a center like this) is apparent in the city of Santa Maria," Adriana said.
Included in the highlights of their work is having those helped by The Salvation Army give back through volunteering their time or making donations.
Seeing this, Eric noted, invigorates him and Adriana in their efforts by showing that their work 77 which includes serving about 30,000 meals a year and helping about 3,000 families a year 77 is making a difference.
Anonymous donor gives gold coin
The spirit of the season, and a recent article in the Santa Maria Times, inspired a Santa Maria man to give a gift from the heart.
The recipient of the generous gift 77 The Salvation Army 77 couldn/t be more grateful, or surprised, by the valuable gold coin.
On Tuesday, the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, gave Capt. Eric Bradley the coin, worth ,785, in front of the Albertson/s in Orcutt to go toward the charity/s Christmas kettle campaign.
Apparently, he called Bradley up ahead of time and arranged to hand-deliver the coin to Bradley to make sure it made its way to him safely. Plus, the coin was too large to fit in the slot of the kettle.
"It/s a rare coin," Bradley said, noting that with a lot of people writing checks to the organization this time of year, it/s "neat" to have a gold coin.
Bradley said he hopes that someone will want to purchase the coin, the value of which has been certified by a professional coin collector, for the price it is worth, or more.
The money will go toward the kettle campaign.
During the exchange, the man also gave Bradley a letter explaining why he decided to make the donation.
"He read the article (in the Times) about the bell ringers and he wanted to help," Bradley said.
The man was also perhaps inspired by the stories in the Eastern part of the country of anonymous people dropping gold coins into the Salvation Army holiday kettles over the past 20 years. More than 300 gold coins, valued at about ,200 each, have been collected since the early 1980s.
Reading from the letter the man wrote, Bradley said it seems as if this is the beginning of the same tradition here in California.
"I look forward to next Christmas and another coin," the man wrote.
He might never discover the man/s name, but Bradley will never forget the stranger/s Christmas gift to the Santa Maria Salvation Army.
Coming Up:
The following is a partial list of the events, activities and services provided by the Santa Maria Salvation Army. Events generally take place at the Salvation Army center on 402 S. Miller St. For more information about its services, volunteer work, or making a donation, phone the organization at 349-2421.
* A Christmas Eve dinner will be served from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at The Salvation Army, 402 S. Miller St. A chapel service will begin at 1:30 p.m. There are still a number of angels on the Christmas tree waiting to be picked. Phone the number above for more information.
* Worship services are held at 11 a.m. Sundays at The Salvation Army. A chapel service is also held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.
* Community Caring Ministries visits to local health care facilities are scheduled on the second Sunday of the month.
* A noon meal is served Monday through Friday.
* Beginning Jan. 18, local children and teens can go to the Army/s youth drop-in center at the S. Miller location from 3:30-5:30 on weekdays.
* Despite what some might think 77 it/s been voted as the "Best Thrift Store" in Santa Maria in local newspaper surveys 77 The Salvation Army does not operate a thrift store in Santa Maria.
People who wish to donate items to other Salvation Army thrift stores in Santa Barbara County, though, can call the office at the number above for a pick-up. Proceeds will go toward drug treatment programs in the county.
* Staff Writer Britt Fairchild can be reached at 739-2220 or by e-mail at bfairchild@pulitzer.net.
Dec. 23, 2004