The chair-elect of Central Arkansas Salvation Army Advisory Board knows what she’s talking about. She’s spent the better part of a decade fighting the battle against poverty and need along with all the demons it brings with it.
She follows a long tradition of women in The Salvation Army who have done so much for people with so little. In fact, the organization, which began in London, came to the United States in 1880 on the successful work of a 17-year-old girl Eliza Shirley, according to organization literature.
In 1917, when President Wilson declared war against Germany and American troops were sent to France, a group of Salvationists (as they were then known) decided they should go with them. To lift the spirits of the troops, The Salvation Army Lassies decided the soldiers needed “home cooking.” With limited supplies, the lassies pulled together what they could: doughnuts. The word spread: If you’re hungry and broke, you can get something to eat at The Salvation Army.
Word on the street remains very much the same today. Although Rahn doesn’t think of herself as a woman to carry a torch, but as a person who is doing what she thinks is right. “My heart says all people deserve a bed and a warm meal,” she says.
“Lana is one of those rare individuals who has been able to blend extensive outward skills with strong inner character, resulting in the exceptional ability to accomplish whatever challenges are put before her,” says Major James Hall, General Secretary, Arkansas-Oklahoma Division of The Salvation Army. “She has a deep personal faith, which guides her moral compass when making decisions. This faith, coupled with her organizational skills, defines her as a person others respect and welcome when needing direction. Her strengths enable her to have the remarkable capacity to bring people together, even those with differing viewpoints, in such a positive way that extraordinary goals can be accomplished. The most amazing thing about her is the fact, due to her humble spirit, she would never see herself as the great leader others know her to be.”
Rahn’s initial interactions with The Salvation Army were as a place to donate castoff clothes or a group that helped with disaster relief. She didn’t know much more about the 160-year-old group until she became more active in her former home of Georgia. After she and her husband, Dan Rahn, UAMS Chancellor, moved to Arkansas, she joined up with the institution in The Natural State.
“The Salvation Army is meeting the basic needs of people in our community who are hurting,” Rahn says. “They are stretching a dollar farther than people can possibly imagine.”
Red Kettle Season
In central Arkansas, those dollars pay for homeless shelters, meals, utility assistance, social workers, Christmas gifts for 4,000 children and so many more services. The holiday season is major collection season for the organization. The “red kettle season,” as it’s known to insiders, is a significant source of funding for the year.
Red kettle stations have been set up since mid-November and will be manned by bell ringers until Christmas Eve. This year, they hoped to have all stations manned by volunteer bell ringers. As of publication deadline, they were just short of that goal. They make more than three times the donations through volunteers than paid staff, according to Rahn. Often a volunteer will tell friends they are ringing and encourage them to come by. Volunteers also tend to be enthusiastic about the time and more engaging with strangers who pass by. It can be the perfect volunteer project for book clubs, work departments or garden groups.
Rahn and her Sunday school class will volunteer at a kettle this season. She says she also never passes a kettle without making a donation. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my money than helping people who are hurting.”
The Salvation Army also needs volunteers for their annual Angel Tree project. Initially, volunteers are needed to staff the trees and help collect gifts for angels. Once the gifts come in from donors, they must be organized, sorted and distributed to families. The manpower needs are considerable.
While it’s easy to get lost in the logistics, Rahn tries to remain focused on the big picture. “I believe it’s my job to extend grace with no restrictions because of the grace that has been extended to me,” she says.
To volunteer as a Red Kettle bell ringer, to help with the Angel Trees or any other way with The Salvation Army in Central Arkansas, contact Kathy Barbeire, call 374-9296, ext. 110 or visit SalvationArmyCAAC.org.