Organization brings holiday cheer to those in need

Ms. Williams bustled about, directing staff, volunteers and children alike.

“Who’s ready for some presents?” she asked. “I said who’s ready for some presents!? Amen? Amen.”

Ms. Williams said SALT provides a meal at every event, and that during the summer the organization puts on “flash parties” to feed the parents of children in the Pittsburgh Public School Community Eligibility Provision lunch program.

“We never know when their last good meal was,” she said. “Children are required to be with a parent or a guardian for these events as it’s often the parent that goes without food before the child.”

Most of the organization’s funding comes in the form of donations, with small churches and families donating what funds they can. Because Save A Life Today is a religious organization, it does not receive any government funding.

Ms. Williams said she’s seeking corporate support for SALT and hopes to continue to grow the nonprofit.

“We’ve come a long way in 12 years,” she said. “We want to serve as much of our community as we can.”

The Christmas event is SALT’s largest annual endeavor, but this year’s backto-school event reached about 300 Pittsburghers, according to Ms. Williams. SALT goes dark for the month of January, but it will begin planning future events in February.

More information can be found on the organization’s Facebook page or by emailing Ms. Williams at mightypraise57@gmail.com.