With about five weeks at their new posts with the Henderson Salvation Army, Majors Jonathan and Staci Gainey say they know one thing for sure: They want to stay, set down roots and have a positive impact in the community.
“We’re looking forward to being here for a very long time,” Jonathan said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. “We have no intentions of leaving.”
The couple got their assignment from the Salvation Army’s divisional commander – they had no say in that. “But we can let the Salvation Army know that we have no interest in leaving – we plan on staying,” Jonathan said.
In these first few weeks, Staci said they’ve been learning the ropes and “figuring out where they can make the best impact in our community.”
One way is helping to stock the food pantry with shelf-stable items that are distributed to households in need. If your gardens are giving you more produce than you can use, consider dropping off veggies or other fresh items. The Salvation Army has a walk-in fridge and freezer for those things.
Jonathan, who hails from Jacksonville, FL, is the one who does the preaching, teaching and challenging and Staci is the person behind the organizing and administration of the various programs, projects and services that the Salvation Army is known for.
“Staci is very gifted in leadership and administration,” Jonathan said. “We work together but we know where our strengths are.”
As time goes on, Staci said she hopes to visit civic clubs and other organizations to develop relationships and connections as they share the news and mission with the community.
The office of the Salvation Army, located at 2292 Ross Mill Rd. in Henderson, is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will accept donations and requests for help during those office hours. The phone number is 252.438.7107.
The Salvation Army helps individuals with things like food, clothing, after-school care and more, but it’s also a church.
Amidst all the programs and social services aspects of the Salvation Army, Jonathan reminds the community that they’re also ordained pastors who want to nurture people’s spiritual side.
“We meet human needs in Christ’s name without discrimination,” he said.
They’re already planning for the upcoming holiday season and folks can expect to see the familiar red kettles when they’re out and about between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
They’ll be signing up volunteer bell ringers, too.
There’s plenty to do between now and then, and the Majors Gainey are already hard at work.
“We want to be a part of this community,” Staci said. “We want to know people and want for them to get to know us as well.”
Visit https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/henderson-nc/ to learn more about how to help.
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