After Years Away, Salvation Army Has Re-Started Here to Help Those in Need

As many of us can’t wait to celebrate Christmas with friends and family, eat our favorite home-cooked feast, and unwrap the gifts under the tree this holiday season, we forget the season’s true meaning until we see that red kettle and hear that bell ring.

The Salvation Army red kettle has become to many a longtime Christmas staple. In 1891, Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee was distraught because so many poor individuals in San Francisco were going hungry. He resolved to provide a free Christmas dinner for them during the holiday season. However, he didn’t know how to fund the project.

He then remembered his sailor days in Liverpool, England. He remembered where the boats would come in, there was a large, iron kettle called “Simpson’s Pot” into which people would toss a coin or two to help the poor. The next day Captain McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the foot of Market Street. Beside the pot, he placed a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.” He soon had the money to see that the needy people were properly fed at Christmas.

Captain McFee’s kettle idea enabled the organization to continue its year-round efforts at helping those who would otherwise be forgotten.

Like McFee, another dedicated Salvation Army man was Curtis Carden who was active in the first Salvation Army program in La Grange. Unfortunately, he recently passed away.

Carden would say, “We ain’t here to judge them we’re here to help them.” A motto Veterans Service Officer and Public Resource Coordinator Jesse Lednicky still stands by today.

Lednicky along with Kenny Couch, executive director of Fayette County Habitat for Humanity, and Krystal Seger, WIC director, are now on the Salvation Army board which started up again in 2021 after ending in 2017.

“It started with a veteran who just had limited social security income and nothing else. He was living in a mobile home and his rent was $100 a month. New owners took over and now wanted $600 a month with a year contract. He only had one month to sign this contract,” Lednicky said. “In the meantime, his truck broke down and he became sick. He just couldn’t stay there and he needed a new place to stay so Curtis who had a travel park in West Point set him up there. His rent for two months was about $800 for a travel spot with all the expenses.

The Veterans Affairs connects you with a charity and of course, all our charities are in Austin which doesn’t help me here so then I spoke to the Salvation Army and they said yes they would help me and they paid his rent and then I asked if I could get that started here again and they said sure. We had to get another board of directors and they sent us $5,000 to get started and that’s how we begin again.”

It may have primarily started because Lednicky needed access to help with veterans, but it has grown into so much more. ”We are an emergency need unit. If we see a need we are going to go. Last year around early December a lady was sleeping at the library and it was going to get down to 15 degrees and not get above freezing for five to six days. The library got in touch with us and we were able to help her by providing a hotel room for five nights and we issued her HEB food cards,” Lednicky said. “Other incidents are when someone’s house burned down and they lost everything. If they want we can take them down to Walmart and walk them through to get things like clothing because we have a tax ID with Walmart making our dollar go further. We can also give them food cards and a few nights in a hotel room.”

And speaking of Walmart the Salvation Army and Walmart go hand in hand during the holiday season as national partners. “It is done in front of Walmart because of the high volume. Our Walmart is exceptionally helpful, the management is super nice, and all the employees are so gracious. They always put money in the kettle. I don’t know if they get enough recognition. We pretty much own December there and they are glad to have us,” Lednicky said.

The future for the Salvation Army in Fayette County will only continue to grow. County Extension Agent Sally Garrett, who works alongside Lednicky and Seger, is on the child welfare board sees the impact it can have on children. “We found out that the Salvation Army’s main program has a wonderful camp program that fully covers everything from transportation, the needs of the kids, etc. in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area. This would be a great opportunity for a lot of the children on the child welfare board and we are looking forward to it,” Garrett said.

Garrett also summed up the true meaning of the Salvation Army and what the holiday season is really about, “The spirit of this organization is to help people who are in a bind. Helping people over that rough road. People just need a little assistance, a lift up and that’s what this is about.”

Carry the Christmas spirit with you into the new year and continue to give to those in need your love year round. You can send your donations to P.O. Box 133 La Grange, TX 78945.