Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary plans annual Membership Reception

The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary will have its annual Membership Reception from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday in the Wren Building, 314 E. Fourth St., Texarkana, Ark.

The reception is open to members or prospective members.

The SA Women’s Auxiliary is a fundraising arm for the Salvation Army whose focus is often helping children.

“It’s just a lot of self-fulfillment. You really feel good about being able to help someone,” said Beth Pesek, public relations officer for the Women’s Auxiliary. “We really just work to serve the underprivileged in our community.”

“Last year we did the family room in the Center of Hope (homeless shelter). Before we began our project it was a very depressing place, and for people who are down on their luck that makes it worse. We painted the room in bright colors, put in toys for children and it’s more of an upbeat place now,” Pesek said.

The Women’s Auxiliary helps with several SA programs, including the Angel Tree Christmas effort, Boys & Girls Club, the Family Store and the food pantry each Wednesday morning.

“We have the Angel Tree program at Christmas, which allows the public to ‘adopt’ an angel and buy Christmas gifts for them.

The children on the Angel Tree are at poverty level so it’s a huge blessing for those children to be able to receive a gift,” Pesek said.

Their major fundraiser is the Gladys Morris Annual Stone Soup luncheon.

“In the spring our biggest project is Stone Soup. The auxiliary members put it together. We raise funds at that event and we use those to help with projects at the Salvation Army Center of Hope,” Pesek said.

The free luncheon is for women only. Dues to join the Women’s Auxiliary are $25 per year.