A fourth-generation business owner in Wiarton, Ont., Josie Myles believes strong communities are built when people support one another. That belief is one of the reasons she continues to support The Salvation Army’s work in the area.

Heart surgery forced Debra Oliver to stop using drugs, and she’s been clean for more than five years. She’d spent more than 30 years in addiction, crime and repeated incarceration. But her life changed when Debra walked into the Salvation Army thrift store in Whitby, Ont.

“The Salvation Army saved my life,” Debra says. “I couldn’t do any of this without God. He walks with me every day.”

Stuart Walter’s is a sixth- or seventh-generation Salvationist, tracing his family’s roots in The Salvation Army back to the late 1800s in London, England, back to a moment when the organization stepped in to help his ancestors during a time of genuine need. That single act of generosity rippled forward through generations, sending relatives to serve in India, China and across North America, and Stuart to Kenora, Ont., where he is making a difference.

Kerry has constructed, painted and distributed hundreds of detailed wooden miniatures. Whether a car has caught his eye, a creation has been requested, or he has felt a need to replace a vehicle someone no longer has, Kerry has dedicated his time and resources to his craftsmanship. It should come as no surprise that, as his views align with the work and mission of The Salvation Army, Kerry feels strongly about donating any money he generates from his work to the church.

For the 20 boys currently residing at The Salvation Army's Bali Boys Home in Indonesia, the home functions as a stable environment where they can focus on their growth, develop new capabilities and gain long-term confidence in their abilities.

Commissioners William and Marilyn Francis share their recollections of 9/11.

This eighth Beatitude seems backward compared to the other seven. With those, Jesus promised a reward for upright attitudes and behaviour. In contrast, this final promise of God’s favour is for individuals who experience hostility due to their faith: If you suffer bullying because of your godly values and choices, you qualify for this blessing.

Based on a 1990 New Yorker magazine article in which Wile E. Coyote hires an attorney to sue the Acme Corporation for selling him allegedly faulty products that constantly backfire—and usually blow up in his face—in his attempt to catch the Road Runner, Coyote vs. Acme, in theatres now, is a live-action comedy centred on the Looney Tunes cartoon characters.

In my backyard, gazing at stars beyond counting, I’ve sometimes wondered, Why so many, God? I like to think of stars as God’s patio lanterns; they leave me wondering if He is not the ultimate showman, providing flashy, attractive clues that He’s there, that He can be known. That we are loved.

Open 365 days a year, The Salvation Army's Centre of Hope in Port Hardy, B.C., provides food, shelter, showers, laundry, clothing vouchers, food hampers, free tax filing, weekly legal-aid access and mental-health referrals—and something harder to put on a list: a place where people are seen, known and prayed for by name.