Salvation Army Officers across Pennsylvania to Meet with Elected Officials in Harrisburg May 4

PHILADELPHIA, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, for the first time, Salvation Army Officers and staff from corps community centers from across Pennsylvania will meet in Harrisburg for a Government Relations Day.  They will conduct individual desk-side briefings with approximately 100 elected officials to educate them on the breadth of community services provided by the 92 Salvation Army corps community centers and 25 residential facilities in 67 Pennsylvania counties, and how these services impact local constituents.

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"These meetings are intended to inform our state legislators and their staff about the scope, effectiveness, and resource needs of The Salvation Army in their districts," said Major Jorge Diaz, general secretary for The Salvation Army Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division. "While we have a tradition of good working relationships with elected officials across the state, many are not fully aware of all we do for their constituents."

The Salvation Army has a presence in every county in Pennsylvania, and served more than 1.7 million people in the Commonwealth in the last fiscal year, Diaz said. The Salvation Army served nearly 890,000 meals and provided more than 778,000 nights of shelter in the last fiscal year. Demand for the basic services of housing, food and clothing have increased about 30 percent during the recession.

Salvation Army corps community centers across Pennsylvania offer a variety of programs and services including early childhood education, after-school programs, job readiness programs, basic needs services, adult education classes, performing arts programs, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, developmental disabilities services, family shelters, senior citizen housing, and emergency services.

The Salvation Army also provides economic opportunity across the communities it serves, employing more than 3,200 Pennsylvanians.

About The Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army is a faith-based, comprehensive human service organization whose programs help individuals, families and whole communities lead healthier, safer and more productive lives. The Salvation Army is equipped to respond to both acute disasters such as fires and floods as well as the daily, ongoing struggles of the region's less fortunate individuals. With a 130-year record of  accomplishment, The Salvation Army's track record of success stems from its holistic approach to providing for the needs of the whole individual and family – physically, emotionally, economically and spiritually. The Salvation Army community centers and residential facilities throughout Pennsylvania offer shelter, life skills, hot meals, counseling, early childhood development, recreation and sports, music and arts programs, after-school educational programs, job training, activities for older adults, opportunities for spiritual development, drug rehabilitation, and much more. For more information, please visit www.SalvationArmyPendel.org.

SOURCE The Salvation Army