Mostly Cloudy, 61°
Weather sponsored by:

Salvation Army presses forward despite unprecedented challenges

Organization committed to continuing longstanding holiday traditions

By Don Coble don@opcfla.com
Posted 12/2/20

MIDDLEBURG – Maj. Phillip Irish slumped in his chair and stared at the calendar on his desk. The only thing listed on Nov. 18 was the word “FLOOD,” and it was underlined three times.

His …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for subscribing.

Single day pass

You also have the option of purchasing 24 hours of access, for $1.00. Click here to purchase a single day pass.

Salvation Army presses forward despite unprecedented challenges

Organization committed to continuing longstanding holiday traditions


Posted

MIDDLEBURG – Maj. Phillip Irish slumped in his chair and stared at the calendar on his desk. The only thing listed on Nov. 18 was the word “FLOOD,” and it was underlined three times.

His office at the Salvation Army was cluttered with empty red kettles and boxes. Things were stacked high on shelves, and the path to his desk was a maze of chaotic mess.

The season that’s define the Salvation Army’s fundraising efforts for more than 100 years was rocked with a one-two punch of COVID-19 and a broken pipe that flooded 75% of the building.

“It’s going to be a long haul for Christmas,” said Irish, commander of the Clay County facility. “It’s been so daunting, but you can’t worry about it. You have to put your trust in the Lord. If you dwell on it, you won’t see the good that will come from it.”

Despite the overwhelming challenges, Irish said the Salvation Army hasn’t stopped providing services to the community. The food bank is still operational, and the annual Rescue Christmas program that includes the Red Kettle, Fill-A-Stocking and toy distribution programs haven’t been affected.

“We will be here,” Irish said.

A pipe for the building’s fire suppression system cracked during the night on Nov. 18, sending a stream of water into a room that housed all of the communication and internet systems. When employees arrived for work the next morning, they walked into a building with an inch of standing water.

“We had no phones, no internet, no communications,” Irish said. “All of the tile had to be dug up. The walls were waterlogged. It was an incredible mess.”

The chapel is closed and the public address system is damaged. The floors are sticky from the glue used for the tile. There’s still a faint odor of stagnant water.

And yet, the mission continues.

The toy giveaway is scheduled for Dec. 14-15. All 32 Red Kettle locations are up and running.

COVID-19 presented a new set of obstacles for the Salvation Army. More people are shopping online and not in stores, both for convenience and safety. That means fewer people are answering the call of ringing bells.

The virus also forced the Salvation Army from posting their Angel Trees around the county. Instead of residents pulling a tag from a tree to fill the gift wish of a local child, several groups stepped up to provide the toys.

Walmart, Advent Lutheran Church, Orange Park Medical Center, Parallon Business Solutions, Fields Automotive Group, Clay County Public Safety, Moose Lodge, Soaring Eagle, Fleming Island United Methodist Church, Orange Park Presbyterian, Center State Bank and the Art Guild of Orange Park all came forward to grant the wishes.

“We’re certainly working under different conditions,” Irish said. “Everything is more complex now than ever because of COVID. But we’re still moving forward. We are still getting a lot of help supporting our community. I find that reassuring.

“We’re just not firing on all cylinders.”

Much of the contact information for volunteers was washed away in the flooding. Organizations can sponsor a red kettle site for a day and volunteers are needed to man the posts. Anyone interested in volunteering should call (904) 276-6677.

Irish said the first week of Red Kettle collections have been “encouraging.”

Despite the complications, Irish said the Clay County Corps won’t surrender to doubt and hopelessness.

“Sometimes it feels like you’re alone,” Irish said, “but we’re not. We’re still going forward. You can’t get mad about it; you just roll your eyes.”