The Salvation Army was the topic of a program presented to members of the Trenton Rotary Club at its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the BTC Bank community room. Scott Sharp presided at the meeting, and Tom Witten and Doug Tye were the program chairmen.
Lynda Snuffer, who is the executive director of the Salvation Army office in Chillicothe, oversees an office staff of three. The office serves 500 families in the Livingston and Grundy County area with various services. Mrs. Snuffer said most of the work is being done in the Livingston County area, but efforts are being made to increase its presence in Grundy County, including being available to local residents once a week at the Grundy County Health Department.
The Salvation Army also offers food pantry services as well as activities to address needs during the holidays, particularly at Christmas. The Angel Tree Program helps provide items for children in the area, ages 15 and under, as well as food baskets for families in need. The Silver Tree program is being added this year, which provides needed items and food to persons aged 60 and older.
The largest fundraiser for the organization is the “bellringing” that occurs in July (Christmas in July) and in November and December. The Trenton Rotary Club has participated in this project for several years and this year helped with the Christmas in July bellringing, raising around $1,500. Last year’s Christmas bellringing by the club, which took place on Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m., raised $2,151. The club has agreed to do bellringing again this year on Fridays, beginning the first week in November, with Daniel Gott in charge of organizing volunteers.
The program for the Sept. 26 Rotary meeting will be presented by the Trenton High School fall sports coaches. Tye and Witten will be the program chairmen.
