Supporters Like You
Jeannette and Michael Parker
“We’re really proud that we support The Salvation Army so other kids can find a safe and happy place at Camp Sebago.”
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Summer Camp in Maine:
Children from all over the world come to summer camp in Maine, spending a few precious weeks swimming in clear, cool lakes, exploring the wilderness, learning new skills, and building lasting friendships around nightly campfires. Every summer since 1958, The Salvation Army’s Camp Sebago has offered the same experience to children from Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont at little to no cost—children who might otherwise never have the opportunity to attend summer camp.
One of those children was Jeannette Parker. Growing up in Augusta in the 1960s, Parker and her family lived in a housing project where her parents were the only married couple in the 16 apartments. But her life was still far from stable and secure; except on Sundays, when her mother insisted that she spend four hours at The Salvation Army, going to church, attending Sunday School, and playing in the band. “As much as I hated it as a kid, it took me a long time to realize it was her way of keeping me safe,” says Parker.
The Army Was a Safe Place for Jeannette:
The Army was a safe place for her mother too, as well as a way to provide for the family. She cleaned the church and the ministers’ houses, and was in charge of the Thanksgiving and Christmas basket distribution for the local Corps. “She worked really hard for what The Salvation Army gave us,” Parker says. “My clothes, shoes, and food all came from the Army.” One summer when Parker was 10 years old, Salvation Army Brigadier Alfred Davey rounded up some of the Sunday School children, including Parker, and packed them off to Camp Sebago for a week. On Sebago Lake’s western shore, the camp’s 285 wooded acres and rustic, brick-red cabins were a world away from Parker’s usual daily experience. “I lived in such a bad house, with cockroaches, bed bugs, drunks, and fights; at camp I had three meals a day and a clean bed and no screaming and hollering,” Parker remembers. “It was such a wonderful experience to go swimming, to just be a kid.”
A Fork in the Road:
Parker credits Davey with helping to make sure her upbringing in the Augusta projects didn’t determine her life. “One day he sat me down in his office and said, ‘You know, you’re going down the road and you come to a fork; if you go this way, this is how your life is going to turn out, and if you choose to go that way, this is how it’s going to be,'” Parker recalls. After her eighth grade school year, Davey arranged for her to work at Camp Sebago, washing the pots and pans in the kitchen. She stayed in a cabin with two other girls who became her close friends. “I went back three more years after that and did other jobs; I remember making all the toast for breakfast and doing all the laundry,” she says. “We also got to go swimming and to all the campfires.”
Parker took Davey’s advice to heart, and followed the fork that ultimately led to a successful, rewarding career in school fundraising sales and a happy marriage. Now retired, she and her husband, Michael—also retired from a successful sales career— are ensuring that other children will have the same life-changing opportunity she had as a girl. The Parkers have willed their entire estate to The Salvation Army for the express purpose of sending Maine kids to Camp Sebago. The well-traveled couple has a ski house at Sugarloaf, where they spend most of the winter, and another home in Stonington. They are both keenly aware of how fortunate they are, and how much hard work it took to get there. They also understand the significance of a hand up, as Jeannette had with The Salvation Army. For her job, which provided tools for schools to raise money for field trips and other non-funded activities, Jeannette visited schools throughout the state, and witnessed the impacts of poverty on Maine children. “I often said to Michael that I could see myself in so many of those kids,” she says.
It Doesn’t Matter Where You Come From:
“I always say it doesn’t really matter where you come from, it’s what you do with your life and the quality of person that you are,” says Michael, who is deeply proud of his wife’s accomplishments and her commitment to others. The Parkers visit Camp Sebago every summer, and Jeannette always makes sure to stop by her cabin for a moment of reflection. “Nothing has changed, and that’s the way camp should be,” she says. “We’ve traveled around the world, and we’ve skied, and we’ve had beautiful homes. We’re really proud that we support The Salvation Army so other kids can find a safe and happy place at Camp Sebago.”
Blanche Kelley
“People need help and I trust The Salvation Army to help those where it is needed most.”
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After a distinguished 23-year military career, Sgt Maj (Ret) Blanche Kelley decided to provide for her retirement and support outreach in her community through a charitable gift annuity.
Making a difference in her community:
Blanche Kelley, who goes by her last name “Kelley,” remembered seeing an ad in Maine Seniors Magazine about charitable gift annuities with The Salvation Army. Kelley, who was familiar with annuities, placed a call to find out more about the annuity program.
During a visit with her Gift Planning Director, she explained that she likes making an investment with a good rate of return and at the same time making a difference for those less fortunate in her community. Kelley has supported The Salvation Army over the years through annual appeals. “People need help and I trust The Salvation Army to help those where it is needed most,” Kelley expressed.
Sgt Maj Kelley’s military career:
When asked about her career, she got up from her chair and disappeared down the hall (her Pug, Ricki, following close behind). She returned with a pile of scrapbooks in her arms. The books were filled with photographs, letters, outstanding recruitment awards, and certificates spanning her military career. A certificate read ” Nation’s Top WAC recruiter for Northern Maine. Recommended for her honor on the basis of her performance as outstanding recruiter.” A newspaper clipping by Portland Evening Express staff reporter, Lyn Liljeholm, read: “Perky Blanche Kelley, WAC Recruiter for the State of Maine, is her own best advertisement.” Kelley is quoted as saying, “It’s a wonderful life,” referring to her Army service, sitting at recruiting headquarters on Congress Street, surrounded by papers to process. She also spoke in front of groups of young women at high schools about the training and the benefits of receiving an education while serving the country.
Her military career began in 1950 when she enlisted in the U.S. Army in her home state of Indiana. She decided to join the military in honor and memory of her fiancé, Stanley, who was killed in the Korean War.
Kelley was assigned to Fort Lee, Virginia for training and then transferred to Washington, D.C. For 18 months she drove dignitaries such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Charles de Gaulle, and General Douglas MacArthur. She would pick them up at the Pentagon and drive them to appointments and to their quarters. She recalls that she would open the back car door and salute them. “It was captivating to be in the presence of these notable men,” Kelley said.
In 1954 she was reassigned to Fort Williams, Maine, and has never left. As a recruiter, her territory covered most of Maine and Northern New Hampshire. She spoke to senior class members at many area high schools, conducted informational programs over the radio station WIDE of Biddeford, and appeared in newspapers as a recruiting counselor of the Armed Forces, recruiting young ladies to enlist.
After 23 years of service, Kelley retired in 1973 as a Master Sergeant, which is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer for performance and years of service.
Charles Parkerson
“There is nothing more fulfilling than to know that we can serve our community by bringing a warm meal to all those who are facing food insecurity in the current times.”
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In November 2018, God touched Charles Parkerson’s heart. A Trenton, N.J., native and successful businessman, he felt a deep calling to serve his community through The Salvation Army more than ever before.
“The main reason I got involved is to give back to the community,” Parkerson says. “I own a business in Trenton and I’m a believer in hands-on volunteering.”
The owner of Capital Fire Protection, the 69-year-old Parkerson said he doesn’t let his age keep him down.
“The community has always been good to me and I’m a strong believer, especially in my senior years, that I need to give back to the community and to people who are less fortunate than myself,” he says. “I’ve been blessed with being fairly successful. I’ve always had a steady income and I just felt like I’d like to give back.”
Parkerson, an advisory board member for the Trenton Citadel Corps since 2018 and a faithful bellringer each Christmas, knew that The Salvation Army had a canteen program which served in the aftermath of 9/11.
A Ministry on The Move
In October 2018, Major Elijah Kahn, corps officer, decided to start the “Trenton Citadel Mobile Feeding Program.”
Parkerson, better known around the corps as “Charlie,” heard about the program at an advisory board meeting and approached the Trenton Rotary Club about making a commitment to The Salvation Army to assist the canteen with at least two Rotarians every time it went out on its regular run. The Rotary agreed and in January 2019, commenced the effort.
When Lieutenants Alan and Isabella Porchetti arrived in Trenton in the midst of the current pandemic back in August 2020, Lieutenant Alan noticed something special about Charlie.
“It was evident that Charlie’s passion revolved around this wonderful canteen ministry,” he said.
Every Friday, the canteen workers serve about 180 meals and give 60 food boxes to the community. Parkerson said the canteen makes four stops: two at low-income senior housing centers and two at street corners in Trenton.
Parkerson, a Catholic, said the work is “extremely satisfying” for him.
“These people are so grateful for us coming out and giving them a meal and whatever else we manage to scrounge together,” he said.
COVID-19 has been a huge challenge for the corps, which had served 16,000 meals as of December, Lieutenant Alan said.
“Ever since COVID-19 started, our numbers have gone up,” he said. “This is the result of an increased number of individuals and families who are struggling and considered to be at-risk.
Facing Big Challenges
“However, this ministry was facing a great challenge—our old canteen vehicle itself. The corps desperately needed a new vehicle that could represent The Salvation Army and be a mobile place where people could be served with dignity.”
Lieutenant Alan reached out to the New Jersey Division’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS), but initially found no funds available. Lieutenant Alan knew he had to be persistent. As the demand kept on increasing due to COVID-19, Parkerson and the canteen ministry were committed to serve the community, rain or shine.
“As an officer, I always encourage all those who join our team to persevere.” Lieutenant Alan said.
Parkerson felt another challenge would be the typical reappointment of corps officers in August 2020. His biggest fear was that the ministry would disappear.
Lieutenant Alan said, “There is nothing better to know than that we can continue to serve, even in the midst of a pandemic, in God’s name, every Friday night. When we pray, God continues to show His faithfulness.”
When God Answers Prayer
After almost four months in Trenton, Lieutenant Alan, Parkerson, and John Murphy, another Rotarian, received training on how to operate the biggest canteen in the New Jersey Division. A few days later, Lieutenant Alan received a call from EDS. More than a “thank you,” the Lieutenants Porchetti, Parkerson, and Murphy learned that they were getting a new canteen for their faithful ministry—the canteen they were praying for and so desperately needed.
“There is nothing more fulfilling than to know that we can serve our community by bringing a warm meal to all those who are facing food insecurity in the current times,” Lieutenant Alan said. “Yes, COVID-19 has brought many obstacles and challenges, but it has not stopped us.
“If we can continue to serve in the midst of a pandemic, we can continue to serve under any other circumstances. That is because God continues to be with us and continues to be with a faithful Salvation Army.”
Richard Sitnik
“I would be able to help many people who were in the same spot that I came from… I can help people in need become successful in life.”
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What’s the definition of a “hardscrabble life”? When life is difficult and people are poor, trying to scratch out a living to survive. That word fits Richard Sitnik’s early life, the ninth child of a family of ten, sleeping on the floor, and working summers at the muck farms.
A 91 year-old retired business man, Mr. Sitnik’s detailed memory can recount the struggling days during the Depression as the second youngest of ten children growing up in Eastwood. The days of working on the muck fields or at Crucible Steel while his classmates were still in school are long gone, but while on his way to becoming a self-made businessman, he never forgot.
And now he is able to help others move from poverty to success as he did. He’s made a legacy gift to The Salvation Army, Syracuse Area Services to continue programs and services to those in need, to provide a “hand up, not a hand out.” It is the largest commitment ever made to support The Salvation Army’s work in Onondaga County.
“I’ve studied other agencies and all offer worthy programs, but the wide range of services that The Salvation Army provides for kids, runaways, young mothers and seniors, I felt donating to the Army would be the wisest use of my funds,” said Mr. Sitnik. “They help those in need and prepare them to be successful.”
“I wanted to show others that over the course of my life, in spite of difficult circumstances, working hard since I was young and becoming successful in my business, that others could achieve success too,” he added.
“Mr. Sitnik’s legacy gift is a donation that will change many, many lives for years to come,” said Major David Dean, Director of Operations – Onondaga County, Syracuse Area Services. “We are so very humbled by his generosity to ‘pay it forward’ to help us mend broken lives. With such a legacy gift we will be able to help clients grow and attain self-sufficiency,” he said. “Sometimes, a hand up is all that’s needed to turn a life around,” he noted
It’s ironic that a Depression era program established to create jobs led to his family’s fall onto hard times. One of the federal government’s WPA (Works Progress Administration) projects in Syracuse back then was creating jobs by the construction of a sewer line extension through the Eastwood area. Although heavily subsidized by the federal government, homeowners had to pay additional taxes on the new sewer system. The burden of paying for the new sewer lines fell on taxpayers and Mr. Sitnik’s parents could not afford to pay those additional taxes, so they lost their house to foreclosure. They moved into a small house situated between two sets of railroad tracks near East Syracuse, one set of tracks carried freight traffic and the other side passenger rail. “It wasn’t much of a house,” he said, adding that he had to sleep with three of his brothers in one small bedroom. The house had neither electricity nor hot water. The house was eventually condemned and the family moved back to Eastwood.
Sitnik’s work career started at the tender age of 5 when he and his brothers and sisters worked on a local muck farm, topping onions and earning five cents for a bushel. His goal was to accumulate at least a dollar to give to his mother who was essentially raising the family by herself.
At the age of 12, he started working summers at the muck farm, earning one dollar a day, which increased over the next three years to $3.00 a day. In the winters, he reset pins at the Eastwood Bowling Alley.
The day after he turned 16, he was forced to leave school and took a job in a Brass Foundry to help contribute to the families’ earnings. The following year, he and his brother went to work at Crucible Steel in Solvay, where he worked for 30 years except for a stint with the Army when he volunteered in 1951 that included a tour of duty during the Koran War.
Later, he helped his cousin for three weeks with his business of buying and selling wholesale surplus, and decided to give it a shot. With cash being tight, and success only a dream, he started this venture by purchasing a well beat up thirteen year old 1950 Dodge pick-up truck for $175.00 and still has the receipt. It would have been quite a sight for one to have seen this old truck going down some of the steep hills on Route 20 just south of Syracuse while streaming a blue streak of smoke from its exhaust pipe as he was calling on customers. “It was from this that I learned that I had a talent for selling,” he said.
He then opened his own business, Hiawatha Fasteners, selling wholesale nuts and bolts and related hardware. What made his business unique and innovative is that he sold the majority of hardware by the pound allowing his customers to browse through open bins of fasteners, choosing only the quantity they needed to get the job done, which kept costs down and created a niche market that virtually no one else was offering. He ran the successful business until he retired in 1995, “on April 1, shortly before I turned 65!” he said.
As he enjoys his time in Florida, he paused to describe another reason for his legacy gift to The Salvation Army, “I would be able to help many people who were in the same spot that I came from… I can help people in need become successful in life.”
“Sometimes, a hand up is all that’s needed to turn a life around.”
— Major David Dean, Director of Operations – Onondaga County, Syracuse Area Services
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