The Salvation Army of Michigan City recently received a generous donation of $4,000 from the Michigan City Exchange Club. It was presented on September 8, 2018 during the annual Stuff-A-Bus event, which supports The Salvation Army’s food pantry.
The donation came from the proceeds of a raffle the club held over the past few months, with the winner taking home a brand new 2017 Harley-Davidson XL 1200X motorcycle. The winning ticket was drawn during a Block Party that was held earlier this summer.
John Sheets, president of the Michigan City Exchange Club, said the raffle raised about $17,000 in total, and the club chose to donate a portion of these proceeds to The Salvation Army of Michigan City.
“The Salvation Army is in dire need of help this time of year,” Sheets said when asked why the Exchange Club chose to partner with The Salvation Army for this event. “I would like to thank everyone that made the Block Party possible, and we can’t wait until next year.”
The men of the Michigan City Exchange Club contribute in other ways to The Salvation Army of Michigan City throughout the year, including an annual food drive and volunteering to ring bells at Christmas time.
Captain Dale Simmons, corps officer of The Salvation Army and also a member of the Exchange Club, agreed with Sheets’ statement about the needs of The Salvation Army this time of year. He said, “Our pantry shelves always get bare in the summer time, and this donation will certainly help us to continue feeding those who are hungry in our community.”
Other programs offered by the local Salvation Army include an overnight men’s homeless shelter, utility assistance, diaper bank, weekend backpack program for children, summer youth camp, school uniform exchange and transportation assistance.
More information about The Salvation Army of Michigan City is available by calling (219) 874-6885.