For 94-year-old Faye Kavanagh, there was no doubt that she would give a gift to The Salvation Army in her will after a kind gesture made by the Army more than 33 years ago.

“It was the summer of 1984, and I was recovering from foot surgery,” Faye recalls. “My sister, Kathleen, and my nephew, Bernard, came up from San Francisco to help me. Bernard was only seven years old and very rambunctious. We needed a way to occupy his time.”

In the small community of Stellarton, N.S., there were no children in the area for Bernard to play with or activities for him to take part in. At a loss, Faye remembered a segment she had seen on the evening news about The Salvation Army’s Scotian Glen Camp. So, she contacted the local officers.

“I called the pastor to ask if they would allow Bernard to go, and he said ‘definitely.’ The officer then drove down and picked him up,” she explains. “A week later, he came back exclaiming what a wonderful time he had, so much that he got upset that it was over. We never forgot it because it was such a great help during a difficult time.”

“When people are having difficulties, they can turn to The Salvation Army." FAYE KAVANAGH

To this day, Faye and her nephew reminisce about his time at the Salvation Army summer camp when he comes to visit her from his home in California. “Last Christmas when Bernard came to visit, we were chatting about it, laughing about how he was crying to go back to the camp. It’s such a wonderful memory.”

Since this memorable event, Faye has been a faithful donor and kept up with the work of the Army over the years—especially throughout the global pandemic that began in 2019.

“I’ve watched The Salvation Army on the news, preparing meals, being active even in my small community,” she says. “It’s wonderful to see the ongoing work.”

Leaving a legacy gift to The Salvation Army is Faye’s way of knowing the work of the Army will continue for generations to come.

“I can’t think of any organization with the same consistency. When people are having difficulties and even their families have given up on them, they can turn to The Salvation Army. I think that’s wonderful and needs to continue. I don’t know what the world would do without The Salvation Army.”