photo by: Emma Delk

Lt. John Lawrence holds a can of green beans in the Wheeling Salvation Army food pantry, with canned vegetables being a much-needed item for food pantries for the Salvation Army in Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler counties.

The Salvation Army in Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler counties is joining in on celebrations during National Salvation Army Week to spread awareness for the services and aid they offer locally.

The Salvation Army is the state’s oldest social services provider, opening its doors in Wheeling in 1883. Today, the organization offers a thrift store in Wheeling, food pantries in Wheeling and Moundsville and rent/utility assistance programs.

In addition to national celebrations, Gov. Patrick Morrsey has proclaimed May 11-17, 2025, as “The Salvation Army Week” in the Mountain State.

On each day of celebrations this week, the Salvation Army will highlight its ongoing programs, host walk-in food pantry days and hold daily sales at its Family Store in Wheeling. The organization’s Wheeling thrift store will have 10-cent days each week, featuring a different item daily.

Purses and scarves were the 10-cent items on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Remaining 10-cent items are socks on Wednesday, books on Thursday, dishes and figurines on Friday and toys on Saturday.

The Salvation Army will be offering other programming to bring foot traffic to the organization, with events held at the Wheeling Corps at 3333 Eoff St. Programming offered so far was a walk-in food pantry day in Ohio County on Monday and a Senior Citizen Club, Women’s Group and Youth Night on Tuesday.

Remaining programming will take place on Thursday, Saturday and Friday. Thursday will include a walk-in food pantry at the Moundsville Service Center on Jefferson Avenue and Thursday Night Bible Study at the Wheeling Corps at 6 p.m. Saturday’s programming will be a Spring Craft & Vendor Show at 10 a.m., and Sunday will include Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. and a Holiness Meeting at 11 a.m.

Lt. John Lawrence said the various sales and events offered throughout the week were to spread awareness for the local services the organization provides, from household good vouchers to utility assistance.

In addition to spreading awareness for their services, Lawrence hopes they can drive donations to the organization this week. The Salvation Army accepts monetary donations and food, clothing and furniture items. Lawrence said the most-needed item for their food pantries is canned vegetables.

“We are thankful and grateful for all the community does for us, from volunteering to the donations that we receive that support what we do year-round,” Lawrence said. “Donations help take care of your kid’s friend in school who may get a hot meal at lunch but may not have anything on their dinner table or your neighbor who’s on a fixed income that saw their utility bills get five times higher during the deep freeze in January.”

For more information about volunteering or to donate in celebration of National Salvation Army Week, residents can contact The Salvation Army in Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Tyler counties at 304-233-4400 or visit their offices at 140 16th St. in Wheeling.

“We welcome any residents that are out and about and want just to stop by and talk to us to see what we can do to meet the community’s needs together,” Lawrence said.