• Cynthia Fuller

Salvation Army Brings Easter Joy to Families in Need

Oklahoma City, OK (April 9, 2020) Easter weekend brings to mind families going to special Church services, family meals and children going on egg hunts. With the COVID-19 pandemic, our community traditions are changing. More so for children & families being served by The Salvation Army:  families in shelter and families in need of food and spiritual comfort.  The Salvation Army is doing its part to bring the joy of Easter to those in need in their communities.

In Shawnee, Oklahoma,  a family of seven is staying in the shelter.  With the shelter at capacity and it is open 24 hours a day, food for shelter meals is desperately needed.  However, when a call when out to the Shawnee Women’s Auxiliary of the Salvation Army for assistance, the ladies stepped up. They not only provided Easter baskets for the shelter’s children, but their connections and influence at Vision Bank resulted in that business providing food boxes for the Shawnee shelter for Easter weekend.  The power of the Shawnee community is shining through the darkness!

Here are examples of what the Salvation Army is doing in other communities in Oklahoma and Arkansas to bring joy and light to those affected by the crisis.   In Stillwater, Oklahoma, families in need are receiving food boxes with staples such as toilet paper, paper towels, and toiletries.  The Salvation Army of Stillwater is also providing special care packages for the children.   Coordinating with Oklahoma State University community, special Easter Baskets with activity bags went out to over 250 children.

The Salvation Army in Chickasha, Oklahoma is also bringing Easter Baskets and the gospel to those in need in a unique way.  Easter Blessing baskets, complete with Easter eggs and grass, are being delivered to church members and those in need. The baskets are being delivered on doorsteps and porches and include a Sunrise Easter service booklet, a devotion booklet, as well as Easter eggs with treats for the children of the household.  In addition to the baskets,  Red Door Frame ribbons were provided for Passover stating, “Jesus is Lord.”  Lieutenant Amanda Brittle, Chickasha Corps Officer mentioned that “One of our favorite services is the Good Friday service.  We are truly missing our people, and we are offering a good Friday service online, on the Chickasha Salvation Army Facebook page.”   

At the Fayetteville, Arkansas Corps of The Salvation Army, snack bags, pizza, and activity bags for the week were delivered via The Salvation Army’s bus to neighborhood children at a local low-income apartment complex.  In addition to this week’s delivery of essentials, children also received a bag of Easter treats and a devotional celebrating the meaning of Easter.  The Salvation Army’s Women’s Auxiliary provided Easter baskets for all the children staying at the two Salvation Army shelters in Northwest Arkansas.   States one of the auxiliary members, “I know the children will be feeling all the love that came with these and will be reminded that God truly loves them in all circumstances.”

Yes, this year’s Easter Sunday will be different from the past, but The Salvation Army is continuing to serve those in need and proclaim the good news to all.