Salvation Army encourages applicants
By ANGELINA DICKSON, Staff writerFact Box
FYI:
The Salvation Army locations at 800 Cove Road in Weirton and 401 Commerce St. in Wellsburg are accepting applications for Coats for Kids as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas assistance.
All citizens who need help or are unsure of their qualifications or needs should apply as soon as possible, because the deadline is this Friday.
If for some reason the assistance is no longer needed, applicants can call and have their name removed from the list.
The Salvation Army is a Weirton United Way agency.
The Salvation Army locations at 800 Cove Road in Weirton and 401 Commerce St. in Wellsburg are accepting applications for Coats for Kids as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas assistance.
The Salvation Army has provided these programs for those who are less fortunate over the years. Rebecca Bell of Wellsburg has worked for and with the Salvation Army for five years.
"The programs are not just geared toward those who are less fortunate now. In these times, with all these layoffs, people aren't going to realize that they might need our assistance," Bell said.
The Salvation Army does have financial guidelines, but it does not want people to be turned away because they fear they may not qualify.
The Coats for Kids program is dedicated to providing all children with coats for the winter season. "We don't want kids to be cold, and we certainly don't want them missing school because they don't have coats," said Bell. It is the Salvation Army's goal to provide at least all children 12 and under with food for Thanksgiving, toys for Christmas, and a winter coat."
The Salvation Army officials stated that they provided a complete Thanksgiving dinner for people in need. The amount of service being provided this year will depend upon the amount of applications received.
The Christmas assistance program is different; applicants are asked to take all of their bills, including those for telephone, cable, and car insurance. Parents also will be asked to provide a Children's Wish List to provide specific items to children.
The Salvation Army has helped hundreds of families every year and has provided programs such as these for more than 50 years.
The agency also reminds all applicants to take an updated West Virginia photo ID, proof of income for all working members of the household, Social Security numbers for all members of the household, and all current expenses.
All citizens who are unsure of their qualifications or needs should apply now. If for some reason the assistance is no longer needed, applicants can call and have their name removed from the list. The Salvation Army also encourages everyone who needs assistance or think they may need it to apply by this Friday.
(Dickson can be contacted at adickson@weirtondailytimes.com)
