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The joy doesn’t stop with them.
This story is part of Caring’s 2026 print edition, “Joy That Moves,” featuring lives changed through the joy of giving. Read the issue here.
When you notice joy emanating from others, research shows there’s a good chance you’ll feel more joyful, too.
So who are the initiators? The patient zeroes of joy?
In our search for tangible ways joy is experienced in real life, we found joyful people who engage with The Salvation Army to make life brighter for others.
And there were more than could fit these pages—people who share joy, serve with joy, grow with joy and give with joy. Their stories inspire us to join in. After all, joy is meant to be shared.
Tonette Sweet: Spreading joy at the kettle one costume at a time
“Where’s Tonette?” is the question in Washougal, Washington. The prompt has the community looking for Tonette Sweet, known for her costumed bellringing. “I have tons of tutus and wigs and hats, and I now have two totes of just bellringing costumes,” she said. She’s serious about the tutus. No costume of hers—whether it be a Barbie, snowman, elf, sunflower or more—is complete without one. The result is engaging—Sweet brings in $264.96 an hour compared to the average volunteer’s $57.79. Plus, she’s gotten more people to join in the fun. “Now we have several people (and groups) who go out in costumes when they ring bells, all because Tonette was brave enough to wear a silly costume one day,” said Washougal Corps Envoy Samantha Wheeler.
Grace and John Yeom: Reaching others with the power of music
High school siblings John and Grace Yeom launched the Eastside Salvation Army Corps Cadet Chamber Orchestra in June 2025, performing in assisted living homes, senior centers and recovery homes throughout Bellevue, Washington. “We’re trying to reach more people and glorify God through our music,” said Grace Yeom, a violinist. “Music brings so many opportunities for joy and fellowship.” The orchestra was inspired by the Help on the Go program in Southern California, which provides youth music and educational support. “There are a lot of young and talented musicians that don’t really have an outlet,” said flutist John Yeom. “We saw this as a way to spotlight them and a chance for them to share their gifts with the community.” Once, at an assisted living home, the audience began singing along to “Amazing Grace.” “We could just feel the connection,” Grace Yeom said. “It’s those moments that really show you how powerful music can be.”
Serves with joy
Bec Pelz: Cultivating joyful shopping experiences
At The Salvation Army thrift store in Gillette, Wyoming, the aim is to treat everyone like they’ve come over for dinner. It’s an atmosphere volunteer Bec Pelz has nurtured. Whether a shopper is a regular for a case management participant using a voucher to furnish their new, permanent living situation, she’s ready to help. “When people come in and they get a voucher toward some housewares or clothing, everybody gets excited,” Pelz said. The work is relational. “It brings a lot of joy to just see people get treasures,” she said. “You’re excited when you’re checking them out and ringing them up—telling them ‘Oh, this is really cute!’ ‘I love that!’ and just being happy with them and for them when they buy their purchases.”
Naomi Dean: A welcoming presence for fellow veterans
When veterans find their way to The Salvation Army Veterans and Family Center (VFC) in Beaverton, Oregon, Naomi Dean is the welcoming committee. “I greet them and let them tell me what they want to tell me,” she said. “I basically am that friend that they didn’t know they had.” Dean found the VFC through the VA and began the program in August 2025. In addition to being a friend to her peers, she has initiated holiday activities for their children and even helped one man survive a heart attack, keeping him calm while calling for help. She’s motivated to not let her peers become one of the statistics—the 17.5 veterans who die each day by suicide, according to the 2026 VA report. “I want them to feel and know someone was on their side—other than God, obviously. Someone here on earth,” she said.
Grows with joy
Major Nesan Kistan: Planting seeds of joy
Major Nesan Kistan found joy during one of the darkest times in his life, after his father was murdered in the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, Australia. When he was aboard a bus chartered by the government taking victims’ family members to the site, he was surrounded by grief. “Without realizing it, I was smiling, carrying a quiet joy that had nothing to do with the moment and everything to do with the God who held me,” he said. When a woman rebuked him, he was reminded: joy does not deny pain; it coexists with it. Today, Kistan leads The Salvation Army Intermountain Division with joy, planting seeds for future growth. “We are ambassadors of joy, carriers of a hope that does not fade, witnesses to a God who restores, rebuilds and renews,” he said.
Bob Bradley: Growing The Salvation Army’s response to disaster
When the phone rings to respond to a disaster, Bob Bradley is prepared. As the Emergency/Disaster Services (EDS) chair in The Salvation Army Golden State Division, serving Central and Northern California, he has shaped Salvation Army responses in a region known for flooding, wildfires and earthquakes. Following a levee collapse in Planada, California, in January 2023, Bradley was part of a team that served some 8,000 meals in 10 days out of the nearby Salvation Army building, which got Bradley and EDS Officer Captain Jeff Breazeale thinking: What if The Salvation Army had coverage zones so it could respond more efficiently during emergencies? Six months later, they compiled a book of established zones in California’s Central Valley. Bradley has trained new volunteers in different areas, covering topics like how to use a canteen. “We’re trying to get—and keep getting—people excited about EDS,” he said.
Gives with joy
Max and Pedro Contreras: Giving in action
At a party, the Contreras brothers—Max, 15, and Pedro, 18—got to talking with friends about “living a life of selflessness.” That’s when Pedro challenged his brother to “live a life of action.” The result? An $800 donation to The Salvation Army Tucson Hospitality House from Max’s savings. When the pair pulled up with a wad of $20s in hand to donate to feed people in the shelter experiencing homelessness, the worker at the intake desk was pleasantly surprised—it’s not every day a pair of teenagers show up with cash to donate. “I just wanted to be a better person and help,” Max said.
Jennie Ing: A lifetime of serving with joy
When Jennie Ing retired from The Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division after 59 years of employment, her involvement didn’t stop there. Aunty Jennie, as she’s known, and her husband, Clarence Ing, stepped up their service at The Salvation Army Kauluwela Mission (Hawaii) Corps. “We serve there because we care,” she said, noting much of their service is in supporting the Wednesday food pantry. “When we see people that need assistance with the food pantry, they come in, they receive their goods and they leave with smiles of thankfulness.” Additionally, she regularly packs bags of food for 367 children from three neighboring Title 1 elementary schools and throughout the busy Christmas season. Her level of commitment has earned her the nickname “Ms. Salvation Army” from family members. “I get teased a lot but I don’t mind it because I’m so proud of the services The Salvation Army does,” she said.
Do Good:
- Are you most called to respond in disasters, support recovery or stand for social justice? Find out with our What’s Your Cause? quiz and discover how you can make an impact right where you are.
