The Salvation Army Honored for ‘Equip the Frontlines’ Fundraising Campaign
PITTSBURGH (February 5, 2026) – The Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division has won a 2026 PRSA Pittsburgh Renaissance Award of Merit in the nonprofit communications campaign category. The video spot and accompanying print and digital fundraising pieces are designed to raise awareness for The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS), a top-notch program for disaster preparedness and response that extends throughout The Salvation Army’s 28-county service area in Western Pennsylvania.
The annual PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards celebrate the region’s best public relations, marketing and communications campaigns, tactics and individual practitioners for their most innovative and creative projects over the past year.
The following contributors were honored during a ceremony at the Sheraton Station Square in Pittsburgh on Thursday, January 29.
- Fran Brace, The Salvation Army WPA Director of Development
- Nicole Harrell, The Salvation Army WPA Director of PR and Marketing
- Kerri Lozano, The Salvation Army WPA Creative Design Manager
- Johnny Shyr, The Salvation Army Eastern Territory Video Director
- Alex Darcey, The Salvation Army Eastern Territory Producer
- Jacob Douglass, The Salvation Army Eastern Territory Videographer
- George Chiang, The Salvation Army Eastern Territory Production Assistant
- Julie Bacon, The Salvation Army Eastern Territory Video Editor
The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) Equips the Frontlines serving first responders and survivors of disasters across 28 counties in Western Pa. In 2024 alone, the program served 53,000 individuals including more than 11,000 first responders. EDS also served more than 26,000 meals and approximately 100 meals a week to Pittsburgh’s unhoused population. EDS distributed 1,800 flood clean-up kits and more than 800 hygiene kits locally that year. The small, dedicated team of staff and volunteers responded to 186 emergency calls and conducted more than 100 community outreach events.
Facing a significant budget shortfall, the powerful video campaign and accompanying materials were created to drive fundraising to ensure the vital program can continue its critical services. Visit salvationarmywpa.org/shield to support this important work or text the word “shield” to 31333 to make a contribution. Click here to watch the full video featuring interviews from advocates with FedEx, Friends of Flight 93, Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, Allegheny County Emergency Management and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
“We are honored to receive this recognition, which reflects the hard work of our Western Pennsylvania team and our colleagues at Territorial Headquarters in New York who contributed to this campaign,” said Major Marika Payton, General Secretary/Allegheny County Coordinator for The Salvation Army of Western Pennsylvania. “While our mobile canteen vehicles are often visible during major disasters, the quiet, daily work of Emergency Disaster Services often goes unnoticed. We hope this campaign offers a clearer picture of that vital impact. We thank PRSA for this honor and invite the community to join us in ensuring this critical work never ceases.”
The Salvation Army was previously recognized with a Renaissance Award in 2024 for a nonprofit communications campaign spotlighting the LIGHT Project, the organization’s regional anti-human trafficking initiative. Click here to watch the award-winning video, produced in partnership with PMI Digital.
Celebrating more than 160 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 134 countries worldwide. The 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division serves thousands of families and individuals in need through a wide variety of support services. To learn more about The Salvation Army in Western Pennsylvania, visit salvationarmywpa.org. The Salvation Army … doing the most good for the most people in the most need.