England

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by other members of the Royal Family, thanked The Salvation Army for its frontline work during the pandemic. The Queen was accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Earl and Countess of Wessex and The Princess Royal for the occasion. 

Toronto, Canada

As COVID-19 cases hit an all-time high in Ontario, Canada, The Salvation Army’s Toronto Grace Health Centre—in coordination with the Ontario government—set up a temporary Specialized Care Center at the Toronto Congress Centre. The 30-bed site has provided care for long-term care home residents in the Greater Toronto Area who must be temporarily relocated. After the initial provision of beds was filled, the facility was expanded to offer 90 beds to meet the growing need. 

Washington, DC

The Army supported 20,000 troops during Jan 16-31 in the Nation’s Capital. The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command provided food and comfort service to national guardsmen who safeguarded the U.S. Capitol complex ahead of the inauguration. The Salvation Army FedEx Emergency Disaster canteen was positioned at the DC Armory complex in northeast DC A second disaster canteen was in place near U.S. Capitol Police headquarters. Salvation Army officers and staff provided service between 9 p.m. and midnight, including hot soup and beverages, fruit, snacks and bottled water.

Nashville, TN

The Salvation Army served those impacted by the unprecedented bombing in downtown Nashville. Working closely with local, state and federal authorities, Salvation Army staff served evacuees from the area as well as those responding. The Army provided much-needed resources to residents of a youth hostel who had to be quickly evacuated and relocated across the city.

Liberia

Thomas Guwor, an alumnus of the William Booth High School in Monrovia, Liberia, took third place in the 10th annual Orange Africa and Middle East Social Venture international grand prix. At a virtual awards ceremony during the Africa Tech festival, Mr. Guwor was awarded a prize on behalf of his company Weeglo, for innovation in its e-learning platform. The software has been successfully piloted across Salvation Army schools in Liberia, making it possible to continue providing learning opportunities to thousands of students during the country’s COVID-19 lockdown. 

Republic of Congo

Villages in the northern parts of the Republic of Congo were partially or totally flooded during the rainy season. Heavy rainfall during the final days of 2020 caused houses to collapse and affected essential infrastructure such as schools and health centers. The Army distributed food supplies, blankets, soap and mosquito nets to people. 

Finland

A short promotional film commissioned by The Salvation Army in Finland won the accolade of Best Cinema Advertisement of the Year in a competition organized by the country’s largest cinema chain, Finnkino. Voted for by thousands of Finnish movie-goers, “Help People: Love of Life” won the public’s approval to clinch the title.

Poland

Young people attending The Salvation Army’s Praga-Północ after-school club in Warsaw, Poland, have released a hip-hop video in an exclusive collaboration with a professional musician. COVID-19 regulations meant the participants worked on the project in small groups of up to five at a time. They met with Mateusz Wilkoń—a specialist in hip-hop, rap, beatbox and street art, who works professionally in Warsaw. The video delivers the message that people need to see the need around them and respond rather than hurrying from place to place without awareness. Once the words were settled, the young people got to work on the performance and accompanying media. This included time in a recording studio, with Mateusz mixing and processing the vocals and instrumentation. www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr190121. 

Singapore

Prison Support Services—Kids In Play (PSS-KIP) provides professional and practical support to children of incarcerated parents as The Salvation Army Singapore journeys with them through the difficult period of separation. Before the new school term kicked off, they started preparing back-to-school kits to ensure that the children were well prepared for a great start in 2021. To lessen the financial burden of the families, they gave out 33 refurbished laptops and 180 back-to-school kits which included essentials such as school bags, stationeries, shoes and bookstore and supermarket vouchers. 

Cape Town, South Africa

The Salvation Army in South Africa brought assistance to individuals affected by a major fire which destroyed hundreds of homes in the Masiphumelele settlement, Cape Town. The blaze struck before Christmas 2020 and forced more than 5,000 people to leave their homes. Salvation Army teams, working with colleagues from the Living Hope organization in the township, distributed bucket food hampers as well as nutritious ready-to-eat meals. Plastic basins, cooking pots and two-plate stoves were provided to 350 families, with a similar number receiving hygiene packs. 

Fiji

Cyclone Yasa, which formed in the south Pacific Ocean in December 2020, caused severe damage in Fiji. The Category 5 tropical storm resulted in very heavy rain, wind and flooding when it made landfall. The Salvation Army in Fiji provided emergency accommodation, food and clean water in the immediate aftermath. Six Salvation Army centers opened as evacuation centers. Emergency food and relief supplies were distributed from Salvation Army locations in Labasa and Taveuni, while in Savusavu on Vanua Levu the response was bolstered by the provision of building equipment to shore up damaged homes.