TELLING THE SALVATION ARMY STORY FOR 42 YEARS • 1983–2025
NEWS FROM THE SALVATION ARMY USA WEST • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025 • VOL. 43, NO. 5
READY TO LEARN
CARI collaboration nets national award
AT&T laptop giveaway prepares Long Beach students for back to school.
CARI collaborates with HUD to improve websites, help millions facing housing insecurity.
The Salvation Army
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BY HILLARY JACKSON What good is information if it’s not easily accessible to those who need it most? That’s the problem The Salvation Army Center for Applied Research and Innovation (CARI) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) sought to solve through a recent collaboration that streamlined the user experience across HUD webpages. The result? A simpler, more user-friendly website—and a 2025 “Service to the Citizen Award.” The national award, which CARI was named as a co-recipient of in the “delivering excellence in digital services” category, honors “exemplary public servants who excel in delivering impactful services that positively affect the lives of the public.” Other winners include leaders from the U.S. State Department, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of the Treasury—all chosen by a selection committee composed CARI PAGE 11
BY HALEY OSNESS Excitement buzzed through The Salvation Army Long Beach (California) Red Shield July 21, as 150 eighth-grade graduates from nearby Jackie Robinson Academy gathered to receive refurbished laptops, new earbuds and backpacks filled with school supplies—all to gear up for their freshman year of high school. For recipient Princess Smith, the new laptop meant a fresh start with fewer obstacles. “I feel prepared for the new school year,” she said. “It will be easier to work on assignments and study at home.” Her mom, Angie Smith, said her daughter is dedicated to her education and learning, but her old laptop had stopped working. “It makes me happy to see she has what she needs now. It takes some of the stress of buying one off my shoulders,” she said, adding the device will also help her daughter stay connected to friends. The effort is part of AT&T’s Connected Learning initiative, carried out in collaboration with Human I-T—a nonprofit that
Princess Smith picks up her laptop from Nyla Davis, Miss South Bay Volunteer at The Salvation Army Long Beach (California) Red Shield. |PHOTO BY JOHN DOCTER
refurbishes tech devices—that aims to bridge the digital divide by expanding access to technology and the internet. During a tour of the Long Beach Red Shield, AT&T staff learned that many students of Jackie Robinson Academy, which is less than a mile away, participate in the Red Shield’s programs and clubs.
Recognizing that many of the would-be incoming high school students lacked laptops, AT&T selected the school for the donation, celebrating students in June with a graduation event where they received certificates to redeem for the laptops at the July 21 event. “Connectivity has become a key to nearly every door of op-
portunity, but millions of Americans still don’t have access to high-speed internet, can’t afford it or have the know-how to use it,” said AT&T External Affairs Area Manager Carmen Shoemaker. The laptops come preloaded with Human I-T software and support, making it easy for READY PAGE 12
West hosts 75th Brengle Holiness Institute Normally held in Chicago, the annual retreat came to Crestmont.
Brengle Holiness Institute 75th Session
|PHOTO BY JOHN DOCTER
BY KAREN GLEASON The Salvation Army’s annual Brengle Holiness Institute held its 75th session June 16– 25 at the College for Officer Training (CFOT) at Crestmont in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Typically held in the Central Territory, this year, due to renovations at the Training College in Chicago, the Western Territory hosted the gathering. The 10-day intensive, named for Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle (1860–1936), offered an opportunity for 72 officers from across the U.S. to deepen their understanding of holiness theology, spiritual disciplines and the calling to Christlike living. To attend, each delegate was initially BRENGLE PAGE 12
INSIDE WALMART LENDS A HAND
In Aurora, Colorado, volunteers filled backpacks for back to school. PAGE 3
A SUMMER TO REMEMBER
Alaska Division offers teens two new camp options. PAGE 4
MEET TIFFANY WORTLEY
Q & A with the West’s Director of Volunteer Engagement. PAGE 5
FEEL THE RHYTHM
Chula Vista, California, Silvercrest hosts monthly drum circle. PAGE 8
See more about the impact of The Salvation Army and how you can help Do Good today at
228 CORPS, 16 LANGUAGES Find corps offering services in languages other than English. PAGE 15
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