FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) The Fort Wayne Salvation Army hosted a community picnic outside its downtown location Saturday. Salvation Army provided food as well as haircuts for many anyone who attended the picnic on Jefferson Boulevard.
Volunteers with the organization spent the previous week passing out flyers through the city and in neighborhoods welcoming people to find out more about the organization.
Bradford Potts, a Salvation Army volunteer who was also helping with haircuts, said the event was to help raise awareness for all the organization does as well as help people get cleaned up.
“A lot of people kind of associate Salvation Army as a thrift store. However, they don’t realize their donations and purchases from our stores actually go to fund the rehabilitation center,” Potts said.
The rehab center helps men addicted to drugs or alcohol with a six month program paid for by outside donations and the thrift store. Potts said many people also think Salvation Army is a homeless shelter and it’s not that. The Adult Rehabilitation Center offers residential housing, work, individual and group therapy in a Christian centered environment.
Potts said the organization expected about 500 residents to show up. However, in reality the event will bring in more than that.
“We want to be able to reach out to people and families that have someone, a loved one, that’s suffering from addition or alcoholism,” Potts said. “They do have a place to come… It’s not just about getting off drugs or alcohol. It’s about a life change.”
For more information on Salvation Army and the services it provides in Fort Wayne, click here.