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Released 8 May 2008
The Salvation Army Carlisle Corps delivered its annual report for 2007 to much ringing of bells Wednesday and ending with thanks.
"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved," said Maj. Ruth Stoneburner, program secretary of The Salvation Army's Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware division, quoting author George MacDonald. "You trust us with your dollars ... we thank you."
Smiling, Stoneburner added that she considered the number of people who showed up at 7:15 a.m. for the corps' third annual Civic Breakfast proof that in addition to the trust, some of them also love the corps.
The report was delivered by Earl Keller, chairman of the corps' Advisory Board. During the year, Keller said, the corps served almost 34,000 meals to the community and provided more than 4,700 nights' lodging to those in need, among other things.
More than $700,000 of the $1.12 million it took to operate the corps came from community support, with another $114,000 coming from United Way and almost $105,000 resulting from sales to the public.
Even so, he said, the corps experienced a deficit of more than $12,000, reducing its net assets to just over $40,000 at the end of the year.
Keynote speaker for the breakfast was retired Col. Henry Gariepy, whom Stoneburner said wrote many books and contributed to many others during his decades with The Salvation Army.
Gariepy, however, had barely mounted the podium when he announced that he would be presenting the first-ever Spirit of Carlisle Award to a couple to whom it would be a total surprise: Janet and Terry Raffety, who were active in the corps for many years before they recently moved to Pottsville.
Terry Raffety had a speaking engagement and was not able to be present, but Janet Raffety accepted the award, noting that her first introduction to the corps came via a bowling alley.
At the time, Raffety said, the corps was taking part in a church bowling league and needed an additional teammate.
"My husband graciously volunteered me," she said. She hadn't realized that The Salvation Army was actually a church, she said, until one of her teammates informed her of that fact and told her, "If you want to continue bowling, you're going to have to start coming to church."
"I'm so glad I got involved with The Salvation Army!" Raffety said.
Also honored during the breakfast was area resident James Prescott. Prescott was not able to attend the breakfast but was nonetheless named a life member of the Advisory Board in recognition of his 20 years of service.