The Shadow
The Covington Salvation Army Corps honored several of its volunteers and in-stalled two new advisory board members during its Celebration of Service event Thursday night.
The event was held at the corps headquarters located on Lexington Avenue in Covington.
Opening remarks were given by Maj. Kim Feinauer. He and his wife, Maj. Roxanne Feinauer, serve as commanders of the Covington Corps. He spoke of the blessing of being able serve as a corps officer.
“My officership, and the officership of my wife, has really been all about being blessed in order to bless others,” he said. “That’s really what it’s all about.
“I think if we lived every day that way, that would be a wonderful way to live,” he added. “Blessing other people so that they can bless in turn … it would be a nicer community, a lot nicer state, and a lot nicer nation. Even the whole world might catch on. That would be great to see.”
The keynote speaker for the evening was Capt. Monica Seiler, who along with her husband serves as commander of the Roanoke Corps.
Capt. Seiler recounted the story of her childhood, growing up in inner-city Philadelphia. She recalled how her mother took her and her siblings to the Salvation Army to escape an abusive husband.
“God, working through the Salvation Army, saved my life,” Seiler said. “So what society would see as trash … less than … unworthy and undeserving … a real street urchin, the Salvationist saw as something different.”
Capt. Seiler also recalled how the corps officer would walk the streets of their neighborhood to get to know its residents better. “[He] built a relationship with my mom, expecting nothing in return,” she said.
Capt. Seiler also recalled visiting the Salvation Army on Sundays for Sunday School. “I remember that I was welcomed, I remember that we were loved, I remember that we weren’t judged, and I remember that for the first time in my life — my siblings, my mom and I, we fit in. We belonged, we found home.
“What I absolutely love most about the Salvation Army is they walk in to someone’s life when everyone else walks out,” she continued. When people ask me, ‘What is the mission of the Salvation Army? It’s to walk into somebody’s life when everybody else walks out, to deliver hope when there is no hope to deliver. There’s always hope in Jesus.
“The Salvation Army is a world-changing organization that seeks the transformation of people, and gives their all to do so, even when it isn’t popular in the face of human opinion,” she added.
Capt. Seiler also noted how the Salvation Army led her, her mother and her siblings, to Christianity, “All because of what the world saw as trash, the Salvation Army, through the love of God, saw as treasure.
“They walked in when everyone else walked out,” she said.
She also shared the story of how the Lord led her serve as a Salvation Army officer.
“I remember vividly riding the subway in Philadelphia, lamenting what I was going to do with my life while I was in graduate school, and just looking around at the faces of the people on subway,” she said.
Noticing that no one was making eye contact, she began to wonder why that was.
“The Lord revealed to me the emptiness, the loneliness and the sadness that was behind all those eyes … who do not have life with Him,” she said, “and He told me to go and do something about it.
“I made my excuses, but the Lord confirmed my calling as a Salvation Army officer in that moment on the urine-smelling, dismal, ugly, dirty subway, underground in Philadelphia,” she said.
Capt. Seiler also noted both of her siblings now serve as Salvation Army officers as well.
“Today, your involvement with the Salvation Army, your presence here, gives you the opportunity to rescue others in our very own community here in Covington,” Capt. Seiler said in conclusion. “For those of you who have been doing that … it makes a difference in the lives of those you don’t even know, [and] so if God can do this for me and for my family, what could he do, right here in Covington.”
Following a dinner prepared by Maj. Roxanne, two new members of the advisory board, Cindy Durham and Peggy Williams, were installed. Each received a certificate and a pin.
Other members of the advisory board in attendance were also recognized. Those included the Rev. Bill Hartsfield, chairman; Karen Kessinger, Pat Carter, Kathy Carson, James “Cheeze” Smith and Gavin Dressler.
Volunteers at the Sal-vation Army Thrift Store were also recognized. Peggy Williams and Lana Oyler, both long-time volunteers, received certificates for their efforts.
In addition, volunteers Myrna Davis and Doris Anderson were presented certificates for assisting with the Angel Tree campaign this year.
“Probably our biggest program all year long is the Angel Tree program,” said Maj. Roxanne. “This year, all our children were adopted,” she added, “and our sponsors … did a fantastic job.”
The Corps also presented several awards to volunteers who assisted with ringing the bell during the Red Kettle campaign held during the holiday season.
Awards given to bell ringers included:
•Top producing club: Alleghany Highlands Kiwanis Club, first place, $1,303.01; Clifton Forge Woman’s Club, second place, $727.92.
•Top producing church: Granbery Memorial United Methodist Church, first place, $1,713.69; Falling Spring Presbyterian Church, second place, $713.70.
•Top hourly producing group: Rich Patch Union Kids, $129.53 per hour (two hours).
•Top individual producer: Charles “Junior” Hartless, first place, $10,523.73; Myrna Davis, second place, $1.504.91.
•Top hourly producer: Gracyn Proffitt, $405.62 per hour (two hours).
Other bell ringers recognized with certificates included Lee Cahill, Nathaniel McKinney, Kevin Stec, the Queen of Hearts group; Tommy Pritt, Selina McMillion and Kimm Robertson.
“Thanks to all of you for a great year, we couldn’t do it without you,” said Maj. Kim in conclusion.
Also during Thursday’s program, the Salvation Army brass band entertained the audience with several selections.
