The Salvation Army has been serving the people of T&T for more than a century and according to Major Joan Wilkinson, its work has only just begun.The non-profit organisation, located on Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, celebrated a milestone last week, as it commemorated 110 years from May 9-15.To observe the momentous occasion, members held a fund-raising dinner at Crown Plaza Hotel on Friday, as well as a Thanksgiving Service at the Salvation Army's Church, in Port-of-Spain, on Sunday.
Major Wilkinson, who's been an integral part of the Salvation Army for all of her 52 years said the 900 plus members of the local organisation remain committed to transforming the lives of the people of T&T."I grew up in the Salvation Army. It was located just one house away from my home in Barbados and I've always gone there and I've never felt the need to go anywhere else."Major Wilkinson and her husband, Major Darrell Wilkinson, are both Barbadian natives and have been residing in T&T since 2008. The Ordained Ministers of Religion, who are celebrating a milestone of their own after 25 years of marriage, are on a mission to "carry out the work of God" and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Grow saints
Describing the Salvation Army as a Christian organisation with an "acute, social conscious," Major Wilkinson noted that touching lives and saving souls were high on the organisation's list of priorities."We are a holistic ministry. We believe in serving the total man, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and physically," she said."Our motto is heart to God and hand to man. We try to carry out that motto."
Wilkinson said the organisation, which relies on the public for financial assistance, is all about helping those who need it the most. "We have women's hostels, senior citizens homes, kindergarten schools, a feeding programme, in-house counselling, a disaster relief programme, a missing persons programme, as well as a sponsorship programme for underprivileged children," she asserted.And on Saturday, Wilkinson said the association moved one step closer to its aim of assisting even more citizens when it opened its disaster warehouse and kitchen on Duncan Street, Port-of-Spain.
"We don't blow our own trumpet but we get things done, quietly. It's all about the gospel. Our mission is to save souls, grow saints and serve suffering." Wilkinson said the construction of a transitional home on Tragarete Road, Port-of-Spain, for young men, was also on the cards. "Men come to us all the time and say they want somewhere to stay. When some of them leave the children's homes at 18, most times they end up right where they started. So, rather than they go on the streets, we want to take them in."She said the building was carded to be completed before the end of the year.
Back to the basics
And having lived in the country for the past three years, Wilkinson admitted that she had experienced the darker side of T&T.She said the only way to effectively address the problems was for citizens to "get back to the basics" and "return to God."She said, "We need to teach our children the core values. Teach them morals, how to say 'good morning,' 'thank you' and 'please.' I think we need to seek God."The minister added that parents needed to play a greater role in the lives of their children as the breakdown in the family unit was a major contributor to many of the nation's social ills."Our children need guidance. Children are not born gangsters and criminals, the breakdown is right there in the home."