Volunteers make Salvation Army possible

Sometimes you feel like you are all alone when you work at a nonprofit organization. During the year, you recruit your family and friends to volunteer so often that when the holidays come you know that they are checking their caller ID and letting voicemail answer the phone. But as usual, the Salvation Army angels came to the rescue this Thanksgiving. Chef Paul Reese from UWF, Francis Clark (We missed you Cherryl), Mary Lynn Williams from Gentiva, Ed Warthen and others came out to cook Tuesday through Thursday.

Courage at Noon led by Jim O'Connor and Michelle Hicks are a holiday fixture. You can count on them to setup, reheat, map out directions and have deliveries ready for drivers. Harold Breyde from Radio Shack has been carving for us for years and is ever ready with his electric knife. Police Officer Carl Hawkins and his family kept us all organized and on target.

We take the opportunity to prepare for the Christmas effort during that time as well and Darlene and Wesley Henderson (Eagle Scout) came to the rescue by packing up thousands of socks for local nursing homes and stuffed stockings for the Christmas Cheer Shoppe.

And there wouldn't be anything to serve if it were not for the generosity of Lisa the turkey lady, Wayne Dalton (Will Mullet), a board member attorney (who shall remain anonymous), Gulf Power, Vision Construction, Little Creek Properties, Force Five Walls, Southland Concrete, Coastal ICF, Peaden & Sons, Paul Hudson and Petrina Windsor who challenged her clients to make a difference and did they ever. I cannot begin to tell about the anonymous donations, the drive by food and cash donations.

Without the kindness and generosity of the EscaRosa community, the Salvation Army Community Thanksgiving dinner would not have been such a heartwarming success.

So I would like to thank all of the donors and volunteers who have come out to make a difference this Thanksgiving holiday. Please know how grateful the diners were and how it really was a family Thanksgiving to remember.

Yvonne Warthen is the volunteer coordinator for the Salvation Army.