Thursday, July 2, 2015 marks the 150th worldwide anniversary of The Salvation Army, the second largest charity in the United Sates. Originating in 1865 in London, England, the organization championed and provided to the most needy, continuing today to adapt to the needs of the communities in order to ‘Do The Most Good’. In Augusta, The Salvation Army has supported the community for 124 years, providing such services as homeless shelter, soup kitchen, drug & alcohol rehabilitation, social service assistance, emergency disaster relief, job skills training, the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center and The Salvation Army Church worship services.

“This is a truly blessed achievement and a reflection of how essential The Salvation Army continues to be in today’s world,” said Major Tony Perez, Area Commander of The Salvation Army in Augusta. Last year, almost 30 million people were served by The Salvation Army nationally, with 85,115 served in Augusta alone. “We serve the community without discrimination for a higher purpose, and invite community members to support us as we continue into the future.”

15,000 Salvationists from around the world will gather in the East End of London to celebrate the 150th anniversary of The Salvation Army! Salvationists will gather in The O2 Arena for seven main sessions filled with music, drama, dance, and the Word.

For The Salvation Army in Augusta Advisory Board Chairman Bennett Bowers, volunteering with The Salvation Army is a family tradition. As his father Dr. Ronald Bowers served on the Advisory Board as Chairman, as did his grandfather Paul Bowers. “This is so much more than a family tradition, I am proud to serve with a charity that does so much for the community in Augusta” says Bennett.

The Salvation Army’s International Congress 150th anniversary celebration July 1-5^th in London is named Boundless – The Whole World Redeeming. ‘O Boundless Salvation’ is the most well-known song of The Salvation Army founder– and was for the composer General William Booth, the fruit of a sleepless night in 1893 spent meditating on the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus. Since then, it has been affectionately known as the Founder’s Song.

Boundless means 'having no boundaries, without limits', and as such, speaks to us of God’s boundless love, grace, mercy and salvation. That boundlessness which is as deep as an ocean is available to every man, woman and child on the face of the earth.

It is for these reasons that the theme for the 150th anniversary of the founding of The Salvation Army, which serves in 126 countries around the world, will be Boundless - The Whole World Redeeming.

 The Salvation Army is an integral part of the Christian Church, although distinctive in government and practice. The Army’s doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its objects are the advancement of the Christian religion and the relief of poverty.

The rapid deployment of the first Salvationists was aided by the adoption of a quasi-military command structure in 1878 when the title, ‘The Salvation Army’, was brought into use. A similarly practical organization today enables resources to be equally flexible.

Evangelistic and social enterprises are maintained, under the authority of our elected international leader - the General, and by full-time officers (26,359 worldwide) and employees (108,786), as well as soldiers (1,150,666) who give service in their free time. The Army also benefits from the support of many adherents and friends, including those who serve on local and national advisory boards.

Leadership in the Army is provided by commissioned officers who are recognized ministers of religion. Throughout the world The Salvation Army operates 10,859 Community programs (number of beneficiaries: 1,087,781), 407 Homeless shelters (capacity: 23,752), 281 Residential addiction recovery programs (capacity: 19,800), 224 Children's homes (capacity: 9,739), 178 Homes for elderly persons (capacity: 7,482), 45 Mother and baby homes (capacity: 1,308),  611 Community day care centers, 180 Disaster rehabilitation operations (serving 1,035,396 people), 15 Maternity hospitals, 7 Specialist hospitals and 21 General hospitals.

Salvationists and friends are also encouraged to join a Thunderclap – a simultaneous burst of social media – to mark the occasion of The Salvation Army’s 150th birthday itself on Founders’ Day, Thursday, July 2, 2015. For live streaming of the Boundless celebration direct from The O2, join us online at www.boundless2015.org.

The Salvation Army has successfully rendered service in America since 1880. While working to break the cycle of poverty, The Salvation Army intervenes every day to meet the most immediate needs – helping pay utilities, sheltering families who have lost their homes, feeding the hungry. Each year, we provide more than 60 million meals to anyone in need through our thousands of meal programs, food pantries, mobile meal units, and community gardens.

On the annual Forbes list of the largest U.S. charities The Salvation Army ranks No. 2, receiving donations of $4.3 billion in 2014. The Salvation Army in the USA has 3,551officers, 60,791 employees, 57,665 Advisory Organization Members and 3,521,314 volunteers throughout its 7,475 Centers of Operation in America.

Management guru Peter Drucker has famously lauded the Salvation Army for being "by far the most effective organization in the U.S.," nonprofit or for-profit. "No one even comes close to it," Drucker adds, "with respect to clarity of mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication, and putting money to maximum use." 

Forbes magazine calculates that if the Army's employees and volunteers were paid at market rates, the organization would rank with the world's largest companies.

Staring Monday, June 29, Salvation Army Today will broadcast daily, and posted to the YouTube channel (Salvation Army Today) with news and information from the O2 venue at the Congress. Subscribe to the Boundless broadcasts on: https://www.youtube.com/user/SalvationArmyToday. Also, SAVN.TV will be presenting a live Post Show which will include exclusive interviews with special guests, participants, performing groups and delegates.

Boundless participants – regardless of whether they are part of the 15,000-strong congregation in London, or watching online – can take part by sharing their thoughts direct through the website or on social media at #Boundless2015 hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as they talk about their Boundless experience and share photos which capture the essence of this incredible event.

Join us for a special Sunday service at The Salvation Army Church at the Kroc Center, 1833 Broad Street, Augusta on July 5^th at 11:00 am.

In 2014 The Salvation Army of Augusta

· Served 98,879 meals to those in need

· Provided 35,370 nights of shelter to the homeless

· Trained 208 men and women in our Job Skills Training Program

· Filled 460 grocery orders to hungry families

· Helped 658 homes with financial assistance for rent or utilities bills

· Hosted 3,373 volunteers which saved us $90,000 dollars

· Had an average worship attendance of 85 people

· Provided physical education foe 298,372 at the Kroc Center

· Educated 4,786 people through Kroc Center programs and classes

· Held social and special events for 7,496  people at the Kroc Center

· Gave 1,997 children a safe Kroc Center day camp experience

To learn more about The Salvation Army, to volunteer with the organization or to donate, visit www.salvationarmyaugusta.org or call John Sebby, Director of Development at: 706-434-3177.