Community Matters: Why We Support The Salvation Army

Community Matters at Brown and Roberto. We are committed to our clients and we are committed to our community. We want to leave our mark on Knoxville. We want it to be a better place to live because we were here. We seek to partner with organizations with those same values. That’s one of the big reasons that we volunteer with The Salvation Army.

A few years ago, we were looking for some organizations to partner with. Some good friends of ours at the Electrical Workers 760 recommended The Salvation Army and introduced us to the team there. We didn’t know much other than the fact that they rang bells at Christmas time, so we started asking questions. And you know, lawyers have a lot of questions.

We were amazed to find out all that The Salvation Army does. They have four residential programs that serve the homeless. There is an emergency shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence and there are transitional housing programs for men and women. To be in the transitional housing programs you have to be willing to work. If you don’t have a job, they’ll help you by providing training and resources and by introducing you to people who can help.

To help their clients be accountable, they charge a small amount of rent to help with room and board. Clients have to commit to sobriety. Being in the program means a breathalyzer every night and random drug testing.

The best part is that the clients don’t have to do it alone. They are encouraged by staff, by volunteers and by their peers – many of whom have faced similar struggles. Being a part of The Salvation Army program means being a part of a new community – a community that provides encouragement and accountability. And hope.

And that’s not all. The Salvation Army provides basic social services to nearly 20,000 people each year. They help with things like groceries, utilities, clothing and furniture. They don’t just provide a handout, they work to identify and address root causes so that clients are educated, equipped and empowered to make lasting changes.

The Salvation Army also helps at Christmas time through their Angel Tree program and provides rescue and relief during times of disaster. Our team right here in Knoxville has served in along the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav, along the East Coast after Hurricane Irene and in Oklahoma after the devastating tornadoes.

These are a few of the reasons why we partner with The Salvation Army. We serve lunch once a month in a soup kitchen that served over 60,000 meals last year. We’ve organized donation drives and we’ve volunteered to ring bells in the Red Kettle Campaign. Our partner, Andrew Roberto now serves on the advisory board.

We encourage you to check them out, take a tour, get involved. Visit their website or give them a call at 525-9401. Like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. Our friend Rob will be happy to show you around, and Maria will be more than happy to put you to work. Together we can make our community a better place to live.

How about you? What’s your favorite place to volunteer?

Give us a call at (865) 691-2777 or contact us through our website Brown & Roberto, PLLC to set up a free consultation.