The Salvation Army Announces Merger in Venango County
OIL CITY, Pa. (October 28, 2022) – The Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division is proud to announce an update in services for Venango County, Pennsylvania. The current Oil City/Franklin Worship and Service Center will now become The Venango County Worship and Service Center. This name change and merger will allow The Salvation Army to continue to provide critical social services in a streamlined and cost-effective way.
“The Salvation Army has been there for people in their time of need for more than a century,” Major Laura Duesenberry, Commanding Officer of The Venango County Worship and Service Center, said. “We are not going anywhere. In fact, this change will allow us to provide even more programs and services, while also acting as better stewards of the generous support we have received over the years.”
The Salvation Army has been serving Venango County since 1880. For more than 140 years, the organization has adapted to meet community needs and has provided a multitude of programs and services to the Venango County area, including: feeding programs, rent and utility assistance, educational activities, residential summer camp, project Bundle-Up, Pathway of Hope, as well as worship services and fellowship for youth and adults.
All operations were brought under one roof, eliminating significant overhead costs, when the brick-and-mortar location in the city of Franklin closed earlier in 2022. This allowed services to become mobile, and The Salvation Army was able to meet those who are struggling at convenient locations within their own neighborhoods. Since transitioning to a mobile feeding model, which delivers meals utilizing an Emergency Disaster Services canteen vehicle, The Salvation Army has gone from serving an average of 35-40 onsite meals, to now regularly serving more than 900 meals a week in the county. Mobile feeding is on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Franklin and The Salvation Army serves onsite meals in Oil City on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Throughout the pandemic, the staff and volunteers have been able to manage the volume of work and in some cases, has increased services, by talking with clients over the phone.
This holiday season, your donation to the Virtual Red Kettle campaign will go toward helping the entire county throughout the new year. Visit https://salarmy.us/VenangoKettle to donate today. More information on weekly offerings and programs can be found on salvationarmywpa.org.
Celebrating over 150 years of global service as both a church and a social service organization, The Salvation Army began in London, England in 1865. Today, it provides critical services in 132 countries worldwide. The 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division serves thousands of needy families through a wide variety of support services. To learn more about The Salvation Army in Western Pennsylvania, visit wpa.salvationarmy.org. The Salvation Army … doing the most good for the most people in the most need.
Contact:
Nicole Harrell, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
The Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division
Email | Office: (412) 446-1642