Written by: Génesis Ventura
On April 22, Southern Adventist University was awarded the Collegiate Philanthropy Award by the Greater Chattanooga Area Command of the Salvation Army during the organization’s Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony, according to an email sent to the Accent by Cheryl Craven. Craven is the director of Humanitarian Engagement & Christian Service at Southern.
Southern was represented at the ceremony by Laura Westburg, junior business administration major, who accepted the award from Area Commander Matt Cuningham. Westberg said she was representing the student body, as the philanthropy award was given to recognize student involvement.
“They were recognizing us for being a college who volunteers, a college that does so much philanthropy and really helps in the area, and they were giving out a few different awards,” Wetburg said. “But as a university, I think that’s a really big thing for us. Because we are recognized by Chattanooga as being [a university] who likes sending out volunteers and people who meet our students. And that makes an impact on our community, which is really cool to see having received an award.”
According to Craven, Southern has volunteered with the Salvation Army for many years. The Social Work Club partnered with the Salvation Army from 2015 to 2020 to host The Street Store.
“In 2021, the service day was canceled due to COVID,” Craven wrote.“In 2022, students painted red kettles and kettle stands used by the Salvation Army at Christmas time.”
According to an article on The Street Store’s website, Melissa Van Rooyen writes that The Street Store is the world’s first rent-free, premises-free and pop-up charity store, giving away clothes to the poor, free of charge. Rooyen wrote that this pop-up is made of posters on the sidewalk and runs entirely on donations. It’s pretty simple: people donate clothes and shoes they don’t wear, and unhoused individuals can select what they need.
“Social club [sponsor] Christie Wilder is a professor and the advisor,” wrote Craven. “She expects if [The Salvation Army] is ready to have them again, that they will hold the next street store in January during MLK Day.”