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by Lt. Kenneth Perinee –
and Cherrie Herrin-Michehl –
The Salvation Army Eastside Corps in Kirkland, Wash. recently held a seminar and luncheon in honor of single parents. In doing so, the Army recognized that, as we approach the millennium, the percentage of single parent families continues to increase dramatically, and the intense pressures of work, raising a family, and sometimes further education often combine with anger and depression brought on by separation or divorce.
For this occasion the building was transformed into a beautiful conference room, complete with colorful flower arrangements and live piano music. We were greatly blessed with several volunteers, including Addie Connor, Gerald and Mildred Chaffin, Edith Martin, Clayton Taub, and Irene Green.
After a continental breakfast, participants heard from experts on the following subjects: Handling Your Feelings (Major Charles Gillies, Olympia Corps), Budgeting (Lt. Gordon Myers); Child Discipline (Cassie Heaton, Tutor Time); and Fun Activities that Build Family Relationships (Mark Nottle, DHQ). Youth director Darrell Pilgrim provided activities for the children in another room so the parents were freed from the responsibility of finding child care.
Throughout the seminar, names were drawn for prizes donated by community businesses, such as The Gap Jeans $50 gift certificate, Seattle Seahawks jersey and cap, and Pizza Hut coupons. Other businesses donated food and gift certificates for the luncheon. Parents described the event as “uplifting,” and several expressed interest in attending future programs. The event was a great success, and enabled us to communicate to single parents and community businesses what we have to offer.
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