Pendleton Salvation Army celebrates 134 years of service

Published 5:00 am Sunday, May 19, 2024

PENDLETON — The Salvation Army Pendleton Corps on Friday, May 17, offered community members free hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, macaroni and fruit salads, and doughnuts as part of a celebratory lunch for National Salvation Army Week.

“We wanted to celebrate our anniversary, show people we care,” said Maj. DeWayne Halstad, commanding officer of the Pendleton Corps.

The Salvation Army has had a location in Pendleton since 1890, only 10 years after it came to the United States after its founding in the United Kingdom.

The Pendleton Corps runs a daily feeding program, serving lunch to an average of 130-150 people per day. Additionally, the Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center gives people in need free clothing, shoes and furniture through a voucher they can use every six months.

People also can sign up for a monthly food box as well as get monetary support to help with paying rent or utilities bills.

Halstad said they’ve received money from the Wildhorse Foundation and United Way to support their work.

“It takes a lot,” he said. “It’s $120,000 just for the feeding program.”

Many feel the effects of the feeding program.

Jason Henry said he usually goes for lunch every day and likes it a lot. He sat near Susan Chamberlain, who said she doesn’t normally eat at the Salvation Army, but knew it was a special lunch May 17.

“It’s nice to get together, come together, and share lunch with people,” she said. “They’re nice people.”

Joe Hudgins agreed with Chamberlain and said the people at the Salvation Army treat him well and are “good people.”

One family, the Armstrongs, said they attend church at the Salvation Army and have received a lot of assistance from its employees and volunteers. The Salvation Army helped them — Ryan, Laurel and their daughter, Lunaria — when they were homeless, giving them a reference as they searched for housing.

“There would be a lot of people hungry without them,” said Ryan Armstrong. “They’re a big facet of the community.”

The chair of the Pendleton Corps’s board of directors, Leigh Pinkham-Johnston, was helping serve fruit salad during the anniversary celebration.

She said after the pandemic, the numbers of people coming to the daily lunches increased significantly. Pinkham-Johnston said she hopes the community knows to ask if they need anything because they have a lot of services and community partners.

“The Salvation Army does a lot of good, for the community, especially,” she said. “We do our best to provide for the community as best we can.”