Frontlines – News briefs of the West

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by Sue Schumann Warner –

Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives. -1 Peter 2:11-12 (The Message)

Vallejo feeds needy
The Vallejo, Calif., corps has launched a Friday feeding program, the only one in the entire city. “There isn’t any other feeding program available to the community on Fridays,” said Corps Officer Major Linda Rodriquez. It isn’t your typical assembly line lunch, though. Diners sit at a table and are served restaurant style by a team of volunteers and corps employees, giving visitors a feeling of self worth and respect. The corps also feeds the needy on Monday and Wednesday.

Congratulations, Capt. Ross
Captain Tory Ross has recently passed her examinations to receive her professional counseling licensure from the State of California as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). “She has worked extremely, extremely hard towards this accomplishment and will apply her skills and credentials to serving the surrounding community that we minister in,” said her husband, Captain Martin Ross. The Rosses are corps officers in Compton, Calif.

Smart Drive works
Jim Thompson, territorial safety director, reports that the Smart Drive system, which has been placed in the ARC trucks, is a success: “As a result of the cameras, truck claims are down 20 percent since April 2007.” Smart Drive clips have also exonerated drivers from fault and prevented fraudulent claims in accidents.

Caring for an unusual donation
In November, the Medford, Ore., corps received an unusual donation. Amidst a pallet of several items was a box addressed to Ceres Cemetery in California, from a family also living in California. Inside were the ashes of a family member who apparently died in 1997. How the box actually arrived at The Salvation Army remains a mystery, but Major Ben LaBarge, associate corps officer, was asked to find a final resting place for the deceased. After speaking with Corps Officer Major Glenda Berko, personnel at the Ceres Cemetery (who indicated the remains were considered abandoned), and several associates, LaBarge found a local funeral home willing to take the remains (along with other unclaimed ashes) by horseback, up a mountain, to be scattered.

Check out Crestmont
Go to to get the latest news from the College for Officer Training at Crestmont, search Elftman Memorial Library’s catalog, learn about volunteering opportunities at the Museum of the West, and more. The museum’s current online exhibit is: 100 Years of Women’s Ministries.


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