Another great meeting at The Pirates House! President Ben Brewer and Joe Buck asked members to mark Friday, September 29 on their calendar as a "Bring a Guest" day. The speaker on September 29th will be the President's of Armstrong and Georgia Southern which will be an excellent presentation. Ben reminded all members of the upcoming Social (Savannah Bananas game) and Service (Back to School Breakfast & Open House at Haven Elementary) events before the club heard from speaker Major Phil Swyers of The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army of Savannah is a $4 million dollar agency that provides numerous services for the community. The funding for The Salvation comes from the United Way, government grants, their thrift store, and donors (which accounts for $3 million). The largest fundraiser is the kettles which raises around $250,000 each year. In a recent audit, it was determined that $0.86 of every $1 went to programs. The Salvation Army provides 132 beds for the homeless, a 6 month in house drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, over 6,000 in toys for children at Christmas, blankets and socks to the elderly, over 110,000 meals to those in need, as well as after school programs for children where they are able to learn how to play a musical instrument. They are currently acting as the social service piece in a new program called "End Gun Violence" which is an initiative of the city of Savannah. The Salvation Army strives to make a difference in people's lives and believes that God works and weaves through all that they do.