A single mother of two struggling with difficult financial realities, Boudreau received a refurbished 2005 Dodge Caravan and one year of paid insurance, a gift that makes a huge impact in her family’s day-to-day life.

Prior to receiving the van, Boudreau had no vehicle of her own for her and her two sons, forcing her to share her father’s car and, as a result, share in car and insurance payments that cost several hundred dollars a month.

Now, thanks to the kindness of some members of her community, one of Boudreau’s challenges has been eased.

The idea of donating a vehicle to a member of the community in need has been with Dana’s Collision Center for a number of years, but this marks the first year of what the company hopes will become an annual event. Staff worked extra hours to refurbish their former shuttle vehicle back to industry standards to make it ready for donation. Local businesses also made donations to ensure that the vehicle arrived full of gifts for the family.

The Salvation Army in Fredericton, headed up by Majors Larry and Judy Goudie (pictured above with Tiffany Boudreau, centre, and Dana Alexander, far right, of Dana’s Collision Center), encouraged Boudreau to apply to the program in hopes of helping her out. Much to her surprise, she received a call just a few weeks later to say that she had been chosen to receive the van.

This week camp staff application forms were posted on our website, beginning the annual search for a team to help hundreds of children have a fantastic summer experience at the Thorburn, NS, facility.

All told, the camp will hire 32 staff members to help guide it through the summer season, including such positions as Program Director, cabin counsellors, lifeguards and kitchen staff.

Kristen Mooy, a 21-year-old from St. Catharines, Ont., had a great experience serving as the female head counsellor at Scotian Glen last year.

“One of the best things about serving at Scotian Glen, was the sense of community,” she recalls. “Being from another province, I was worried about fitting in, but everyone was so welcoming and I soon made some very good friends. With everyone being so close, we were able to open up to one another, and help each other grow in our faith as well as conquer struggles. Everyone was very encouraging toward one another which helped the summer run smoothly. “

Mooy also offered some advice to any prospective first-time camp staff.

“Don’t be afraid to be yourself! Camp is a great place to learn about yourself and grow spiritually. It can be challenging at times, but in the end it is very rewarding and such a blessing to think of all the kids you’ve made an impact on in such a short amount of time.”

CLICK HERE to visit the Scotian Glen section of the website to download a camp application form, read more info about the opportunity or apply. The deadline for applications is March 9th, 2012.

This inaugural event will bring together approximately 200 people including prominent business people and community leaders from around the region for a morning of networking, entertainment and education, all in support of the work that The Salvation Army is doing right here in the Maritimes. The event will run from 7:30 – 9 a.m. Individual tickets cost $50, or organizations can reserve a table of 10 for $500.

For her part, Le May Doan is a two-time gold medalist in speedskating. The first of her victories occurred in Nagano, Japan, in 1998, in the 500-metre competition. Four years later in Salt Lake City, Utah, Catriona kicked off the Games as Canada’s flag-bearer for the opening ceremonies before becoming the first, and still only, Canadian to defend an individual gold medal in any Olympic discipline. She also owns an Olympic bronze medal from the 1,000 metres in 1998, and still holds the Olympic record in the 500 metres.

Just over a month after her visit to Halifax Catriona will head to London as a member of the CTV broadcast team for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in August.

If you are interested in joining us for this year’s Leadership Breakfast, CLICK HERE to download a ticket/table order form.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available. If your organization may be interested in partnering with The Salvation Army for this event, please contact Daniel_Bonner@can.salvationarmy.org for a sponsorship package.

Lt. Robert Jeffery

As a lifelong Salvationist however, in this Division, I’ve always struggled with trying to define what, if anything, characterizes us as a Maritime Salvation Army. Are we similar to The Army in Newfoundland – that great bastion of Salvationism, or, are we culturally closer to The Army in Ontario? (Another great bastion of Salvationism yet one that is distinctly different from The Army of Newfoundland and Labrador). Does our identity get subsumed by these two great behemoths to our east and west? How then, if it’s even possible in the first place, can we carve out an identity for ourselves as Maritime Salvationists?

I think it’s fair to recognize the influence that the Newfoundland Army has on us. The vast majority of our officers are Newfoundlanders. I’m not 100 per cent sure, but I believe that I’m the first Corps Officer in my church who’s NOT a Newfoundlander. (Hannah can’t say the same. She was born in St. John’s…) And according to my rough calculations, in this Division there’s only 22 active officers, represented in twelve couples who were born on the Mainland. The rest are all Newfoundlanders. I’m certainly not suggesting there’s anything wrong with this, but I write this to show you how Newfoundland Salvationism has influenced our own brand of Salvationism. The cadre of Newfoundland officers has made our Army, to a certain degree, reflect their Army. We know ‘Newfie’ choruses, we’re used to Newfoundland accents and expressions. It’s generally a good fit – but not always. Likewise, the stiff formalism of The Army in Upper Canada doesn’t always blend well either with our more relaxed style

I know I’m making a lot of generalizations here, but to some extent one has to in order to determine what makes us unique as Maritime Salvationists. “Why is this even important?” you may ask. I believe it’s important because I don’t think we’ve done a great job in the Maritime Army connecting with the broader culture. We do ourselves a disservice if we think that what works ministry-wise on the Avalon Peninsula will automatically work on the Southwest shore of Nova Scotia. It doesn’t automatically follow that what works at 614 Regent Park will work equally as well in Fredericton, New Brunswick. We have a unique culture here in the Maritimes; the Gospel message must be presented in such a way that it connects with this Maritime culture – whatever that looks like.

I have a few ideas on how to go about defining a Maritime cultural identity, but before I share, I want to hear from you. What are some characteristics of our Maritime communities? How are we similar, and how are we different from one another? How best can The Salvation Army ‘fit’ within the culture of the Maritime Provinces, and yet still be ‘counter-cultural’ in our adherence to Christ’s Gospel?

Editor’s Note: Please comment below or email Lt. Jeffery directly at: Robert_Jeffery@can.salvationarmy.org

In immediate response to the fire, The Salvation Army Thrift Stores have provided emergency items to tenants affected by the fire at 25 Arthur Street at no cost. The Thrift Stores have continued to use their resources to support these victims, aided by a voucher system managed by TSA’s Community and Family Services Halifax. Any resident who has come forward has been issued a voucher, enabling them to freely pick up whatever was required at our Thrift Store locations.

Clothing donations can continue to be dropped off to HRM Thrift Store locations to help replenish items that were given to the displaced tenants following the fire. Building an adequate supply of clothing enables us to respond to events like this one. Furthermore, proceeds from the sale of merchandise at Salvation Army Thrift Stores returns to the community in the form of critical funding for local programming, including Emergency Disaster Services.

The Salvation Army will continue to support the community through the Dartmouth Community Church (171 Pleasant Street) as these residents recover and re-establish their lives.

Here’s a look a just a few of the things happening in Moncton lately:

— The 2nd Annual Stuff-a-Bus Toy Drive was a huge success collecting over 1,200 toys and almost $500 for The Salvation Army Christmas Aid Program in Moncton. This was a partnership between local radio stations C103/XL96 and Codiac Transit.

Brooklyn Chapman

— Moncton CFS began providing a monthly men’s breakfast back in June averaging about 20 men, mostly homeless or in transition, and this month they were treated them to a special Christmas Breakfast at local family restaurant The Homestead. “Staff at the Homestead reserved us a room and provided us with a wonderful spread and warm hospitality,” Natasha Burkett, Director of Moncton CFS, said.

— The local Quilters Guild has graciously been providing free Quilting lessons to a group of 8-10 women at Moncton CFS. They finished up their quilted masterpieces just in time to make for perfectly warm Christmas gifts.

Christmas hamper distribution

— Moncton CFS provided almost 1,000 cups of free hot chocolate to Greater Moncton residents during the annual Santa Claus parade. Just a great opportunity to provide a cup of Christmas Cheer!

— Finally, Members of the Northern Region Fellowship Band joined the Moncton Corps band to provide yuletide entertainment on opening night of the 24th Annual Turner’s Christmas at the Moncton Coliseum. Turner’s is a Festival of crafts, specialty foods, art and sntiques, held one weekend each year at the Moncton Coliseum Complex. The event attracts over 400 exhibitors and an attendance of over 30,000, and is home to one of the Moncton CFS Christmas Kettles.

Clockwise from top, the second annual Stuff-a-Bus Toy Drive; handing out hot chocolate to the community during the Santa Claus Parade; A glimpse at some of the over 1,000 toys collected at Stuff-a-Bus.

Clothing, personal supplies and small household items are currently being accepted at the Salvation Army Dartmouth Community Church (171 Pleasant Street) and all Salvation Army Thrift Store locations throughout HRM, including Dartmouth (two locations: 118 Wyse Road & 125 Main Street), Cole Harbour (971 Cole Harbour Road), Halifax (two locations: 5280 Green Street & 3667 Strawberry Hill) and Lower Sackville (463 Sackville Drive). Those wishing to donate furniture or large household items are asked to contact a Thrift Store location, or the Salvation Army Dartmouth Community Church, and leave their contact info. Arrangements will be made for furniture donations after the tenants secure new living arrangements.

Financial donations can be made at The Salvation Army Maritime Divisional Headquarters, located at 7071 Bayers Road, Suite 282, Halifax, NS, B3L 2C2. Donations can be made via mail, in-person or by telephone at 902-455-1201. Please indicate that your donation is for the 25 Arthur Street Fire.

The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services team was mobilized on Saturday, Dec. 31, opening the Wyse Road Thrift Store location and providing tenants an opportunity to collect some needed clothing in the hours following the fire. The store served 13 individuals on the day of the incident. Dartmouth Corps Officer Captain Sean Furey was also on site speaking with those affected. The Salvation Army, through its EDS and Community and Family Services departments, will continue to support the residents of 25 Arthur Street in the days to come.

“Apart from the Empire Theatres’ Toy Drives, this was the largest toy donation I’ve seen,” says Paul Craig of The Salvation Army. Craig picked up the toy donations in a 22-foot truck, which he said was almost filled completely.

“I would guess that there were about 30-40 thousand dollars’ worth of toy donations,” says Cars R Us Owner Gary Shea. For the past 12 years, Cars R Us has been holding toy drives in partnership with radio station FX 101.9 and giving the proceeds to The Salvation Army.

“I personally believe The Salvation Army does a great job in our communities,” says Shea. “They are certainly one of the most honest charities. We’re glad to be helping a fantastic organization.”

One staple of the holiday season in this part of the world is bright, colourful – sometimes lavish and orchestrated – Christmas light displays. In Halifax, there are a select few houses that top the lists of light aficionados year after year. Two such houses are owned by brothers Nick and Carman Giacomantonio, doctors by day, proud owners of sparkling light displays by night, located side-by-side on Connaught Avenue, near Jubilee Road.

This year, Nick and his family decided to add an element of giving to the display, encouraging passers-by to make a donation – food, clothing or otherwise – to The Salvation Army.

Thank you Giacomantonio family for thinking of The Salvation Army this Christmas.

Earlier this month, Small Blessings hosted parents, grandparents and other guests for its 22nd annual Christmas concert. Approximately 500 people attended the concert and the luncheon that followed to help kick-off the Christmas season.

This year, two staff members were also honoured for their 20 years of service with Small Blessings. Brian Black started as a casual cook and after 20 years is still providing quality meals to everyone at Small Blessings. Lorraine Veysey started as a fill-in Director 20 years ago and today still serves as Director of the centre.

Another holiday highlight for the kids at Small Blessings was playing host to the residents of Lakeview Manor, a long-term care home (nursing home) in Riverview, NB, operated by The Salvation Army. Often the children from Small Blessings travel to Lakeview Manor for a visit, but the roles were reversed this Christmas, giving the folks at Lakeview Manor a special outing to take in the Small Blessings Christmas concert. At the end of the entertainment, the children gave each senior a Christmas card that was made by them, thanking them for coming and sharing in their Christmas. It was a very special time for both the children and the seniors.

For the past six years, Small Blessings has been participating in the Angel Tags gift program through Moncton Community and Family Services. This year, parents were asked to bring their children, with their gift, to the sanctuary where a special tree was set up. While the parent explained to the child the meaning of the program and the importance of giving to others, the child could personally put the tag on the tree and place the specially chosen gift under the tree. Thanks to the families of Small Blessings, a number of toys were provided to CFS for their Christmas efforts.

Above, staff members at Small Blessings receive 20-year service recognition. In the first photo, Brian Black, second from left, receives congratulations from (left to right) Major Vida Ryan, Major Stan Folkins and Small Blessings Director Lorraine Veysey. In the second photo, Lorraine Veysey receives congratulations from Major Stan Folkins and Major Vida Ryan. Below, a selection of photos from Small Blessings Christmas events.