Dan Rosenthal welcomed members of the Salvation Army Newtown/Bethel Service Unit to the southern entrance of Newtown Municipal Center on Monday, May 3, offering a proclamation for Salvation Army Day.

The first selectman was joined by Glenn Nanavaty, president of the local group; Marie Sturdevant, secretary; Peg Forbell, treasurer; and members Steve Bennett, Dick Sturdevant, and Anna Wiedemann, along with Newtown Director of Human Services Natalie Jackson. Jackson and her department work with the Salvation Army to support residents in need.

The group gathered one week ahead of Salvation Army Day and the onset of Salvation Army Week, which will be acknowledged May 10-14.

The proclamation noted that the Salvation Army has long “been a symbol of wholehearted dedication to the cause of human brotherhood. In time of war, the men and women of this organization have brought to those serving their country far from home, friendliness and warm concern. In the quieter days of peace, their work has been a constant reminder to us all that each of us is neighbor and kin to all Americans. Giving freely of themselves, the men and women of The Salvation Army have won the respect of us all.”

The organization, the proclamation further noted, is the world’s largest nongovernmental provider of poverty relief, serving millions annually. It “stands ready locally, nationally, and internationally to respond when disaster strikes… offers Comprehensive Emergency Assistance without discrimination to those who have no other resources or do not qualify for local funds when the need is justified and verifiable, so long as funds are available… [and] the Newtown/Bethel Service Unit is a model of excellence.”

In a note to The Newtown Bee ahead of the proclamation, Nanavaty pointed out that the Salvation Army “has served others in Newtown for many years, through many trying times.”

Salvation Army Week, he said, “serves as an opportunity to celebrate our volunteers, donors and program beneficiaries who have enabled us to serve in the United States since 1880. The Newtown/Bethel Service Unit is a model of excellence deserving of recognition.”

Services provided locally include medical and dental assistance for children and senior citizens, fuel and other assistance to citizens in need, and support of FAITH Food Pantry, the nondenominational pantry located on Church Hill Road.

During the height of the COVID-19 crisis, the local service unit was also donating food every to weeks to local organizations and households in need. Recipients included FAITH Food Pantry, Hospitality Hall at Newtown Congregational Church, the Children’s Adventure Center, Nunnawauk Meadows, and individual households in need that worked with the Department of Human Services.

The local unit is seen publicly each year during the holiday season conducting its Red Kettle campaign. Volunteers spend one-hour blocks of time outside local businesses receiving donations from passerby. Ninety percent of those donations stay right in Newtown, supporting the programs administered by Newtown Department of Human Services to help local residents.

In December 2020, the local chapter did a limited Red Kettle campaign due to COVID and safety precautions, but the event was still very successful in raising funds.

In July 2019, the chapter introduced a Christmas in July Red Kettle campaign. The one-day effort, Nanavaty said after the event, raised $1,299.93. The funds, he said, were earmarked to provide school supplies for the 2019-20 school year, gift cards for the purchase of food and gas, and to help resident in need pay for expenses they were having trouble with that summer.

While Christmas in July was canceled last year due to COVID, the group on Monday said they are hoping to resume the offering this year.

The Salvation Army Newtown/Bethel Service Unit meets two to three times each year. New members are always welcome. Contact Glenn Nanavaty at 203-426-2116 for additional information.

Associate Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com