Media Contact:
Jeri Chadwell
O: 775-688-4555 ext. 216
C: 775-636-3208 (preferred)
jeri.chadwell@usw.salvationarmy.org

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operations around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit carsoncity.salvationarmy.org.

The Salvation Army partners with TobyMac, Awakening Foundation, and Altrua HealthShare to provide hope to men overcoming substance use disorders

Donation to support The Salvation Army of Washoe County’s Adult Rehabilitation Program.

RENO, NEV—Feb. 8, 2024: The Salvation Army is partnering with Awakening Foundation and TobyMac to help those who are incarcerated, reentering society or overcoming drug abuse. The 2024 Hits Deep tour runs from January 16 to March 23, stopping at 30 locations, and a $1,500 donation will be made to The Salvation Army at each tour stop. The tour stops in Reno next week on February 13 at the Reno Events Center.

Major Randy Hartt, Washoe County Coordinator for the Salvation Army, will be on hand to receive the donation being made on behalf of Awakening Foundation, Altrua HealthShare and TobyMac. The funding will be used to support the Adult Rehabilitation Program (ARP) operated by The Salvation Army in Washoe County.

“The men in our program are striving to overcome the difficulties of addiction, restore family relationships and truly know Jesus, who can set them free, said Major Hartt. “It is absolutely incredible when people recognize that and contribute to our program. We are so grateful for this donation.”

The Salvation Army of Washoe County’s Adult Rehabilitation Program (ARP) is a place of hope, healing and new beginnings. It’s dedicated to rebuilding the lives of men who are battling substance use, homelessness and other serious challenges. The ARP is a 70-bed facility where men partake in a six-month program designed to help them overcome dependency through structure, discipline and learning opportunities to maintain long-term sobriety.

“This year’s tour is going to be phenomenal, and we look forward to living up to its namesake by hitting deep into the communities and helping those currently incarcerated or trying to re-enter society. We look forward to seeing lives changed across the nation this spring,” said Dan Fife, Awakening Events Founder.

For more information about The Salvation Army’s ARP in Washoe County, please visit www.reno.salvationarmy.org.

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The Salvation Army welcomes new leadership to Reno

Majors Tracie and Randy Hartt bring a quarter century of experience to the job

RENO, NEV—July 10, 2023: The Salvation Army is pleased to welcome Majors Tracie and Randy Hartt as the new Washoe County Coordinators and Corps Officers to oversee its social services, Adult Rehabilitation Program (ARP) for men and various ministries. The officers have served in The Salvation Army for 24 years and bring a wealth of experience to the mission The Army has served in the community for 139 years.

As Salvation Army officers do every few years, former County Coordinators Majors LeAnn and Darren Trimmer received marching orders to a new assignment after nearly four years of dedicated service to the people of Washoe County. They departed Reno for Southern California, where they are now using their expertise to oversee The Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center Command and 18 facilities along the West Coast. 

“We put everything into the hands of the Lord through the vehicle of the Salvation Army,” Major Randy said. “So, we trust that God is in the midst of all of this—and He's always shown that to be true with every move we’ve made. We realize that as surely as our season has passed in California, a new season is starting here.” 

The Majors Hartt look forward to meeting community and applying their decades of experience to continuing The Salvation Army’s mission to meet human needs. 

Prior to receiving this assignment, they served as the County Coordinators in Sonoma County, California. They have also been responsible for running the Suisun City Kroc Center—a Salvation Army community center with an indoor pool, full-size gym, wellness center, arts center, day camp and classes for people of all ages—and saw its programs through the COVID-19 pandemic. When stay-at-home orders were first issued, the Majors Hartt opened an emergency pop-up childcare facility for the children of first responders, healthcare professionals and other essential workers. 

“I'm an Emergency Disaster Services officer and a specialist in that, too,” Major Randy said. “I’ve trained people to respond to disasters and have been on response teams for countless national, statewide and local disasters over the years.”
He was among The Salvation Army officers who responded to the Dixie Fire in 2021.

The Majors Hartt have been instrumental in helping to raise the needed funds to keep The Salvation Army’s programs running in each community in which they have served. With the help of celebrity restaurateur and television host Guy Fieri, who was the keynote speaker at an annual civic dinner last year, the Majors were able to raise $143,000 in a single night.  

The community is invited to meet the Majors Hartt and learn more about The Salvation Army’s programs, including its food pantry and the ARP. For more information, call the administrative office at 775-688-4555.

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The Salvation Army and Reno Aces team up for fundraising effort

A few days remain to buy tickets to celebrate National Salvation Army Week at the ballpark

RENO, NEV—May 15, 2023: The Salvation Army of Washoe County is inviting the community to support its mission by purchasing tickets to the May 18th Reno Aces game at Greater Nevada Field in honor of National Salvation Army Week.

The City of Reno and the City of Sparks have issued proclamations declaring this year’s Salvation Army Week locally, and Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hill will be at the game to present the county’s own proclamation to The Salvation Army.

Tickets for the game are $20 dollars and can be purchased by visiting www.tsareno.link/aces before midnight on Wednesday. Half of proceeds from tickets sold will be given to The Salvation Army to support its various local programs, including social services, the food pantry and the Adult Rehabilitation Program for men. During April, the social services department served 871 individuals and distributed 732 food boxes from its food pantry. Those who are unable to attend the game are encouraged to donate directly to these programs online by visiting www.reno.salvationarmy.org.

“The Salvation Army has been blessed to be a part of this wonderful community since 1884,” said Major Darren Trimmer, Washoe County Coordinator. “Through times of growth and prosperity and times of hardship alike, the generosity of this community has allowed us to help meet the needs of those with fewer resources. We appreciate the Reno Aces’ partnership and look forward to celebrating National Salvation Army Week with them.”

Salvation Army Week is celebrated every year following Mother’s Day. This year it runs from May 15-21. It serves as an opportunity to celebrate the nonprofit’s volunteers, donors and program beneficiaries who have made it possible for The Salvation Army to serve those in need around the world for 158 years. Salvation Army Week was first declared by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954 – 74 years after The Salvation Army arrived in the United States.

During his speech declaring National Salvation Army Week, Eisenhower said, “Among Americans, The Salvation Army has long been a symbol of wholehearted dedication to the cause of human brotherhood. In time of war, the men and women of this organization have brought to those serving their country far from home, friendliness, and warm concern. In the quieter days of peace, their work has been a constant reminder to us all that each of us is neighbor and kin to all Americans. Giving freely of themselves, the men and women of The Salvation Army have won the respect of us all.”

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Live Music at The Salvation Army in Reno this Saturday

The Western Territory Staff Songsters will perform at The Salvation Army Reno Corps

RENO, NEV—Jan. 25, 2023: The Salvation Army of Washoe County is pleased to announce that the Western Territory Staff Songsters (WTSS) will be performing here at the Reno Corps on January 28th at 6:30 p.m.!

WTSS is a 30-person, four-part adult choir made up of Salvationists from across the Western territory.

“We’re a Christian group,” said Barbara Allen, leader of WTSS. “And all of our members are Salvationists. We come together with our music ministry to spread the word of God. That’s the heart of what we do.”

The choir only meets to perform about three times per year, so the Reno Corps is overjoyed to be blessed with this opportunity for our community to hear them. Back in October, WTSS performed at the 10-year celebration of the Kroc Center in Hawaii. In June, they will be at the commissioning of Salvation Army officers in southern California.

According to Allen, the audience can expect an eclectic mix of musical styles at the performance.

“We do a lot of different kinds of styles,” she said. “There is so much wonderful repertoire out there, so we try to choose as many different styles as we can. We some light jazz. We have some bigger ballads, and we have some that are anthem style. It is a four-part adult choir.”

We hope to see you here at the Reno Corps on January 28th!

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Tripp Enterprises supports The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program

The Tripps are providing local support now and planning a foundation in honor of their late son, Rory Tripp

RENO, NEV—Dec. 15, 2022: A Christmas tree has stood just inside the doors of manufacturing company Tripp Enterprises throughout this holiday season, beautifully adorned with Salvation Army Angel Tree tags and ornaments bearing a cartoon lion and the hashtag #LiveLikeRory. The topper on the tree is a shaped like a snowflake and lighted from within. At its center is a photo of a laughing baby boy: Rory Tripp.

“Rory was that little boy who was always smiling. He was always in a good mood. If you had a bad day, all you had to do was take one look at him and you were going to be doing better,” said Zack Ponce, CEO of Tripp Enterprises.

Rory was the son of Tripp Enterprises owner and president, Cole Tripp. He was born on May 22, 2020. Though his life was tragically cut short only six months later, his legacy continues.

“He was a healthy, happy kid. Of all my children, he actually cried the least. He was the mellowest, most laidback child you’d ever meet in your life—healthy as a horse, big as an ox,” Tripp said. “His death was undetermined, unexpected. He basically went down for a nap in his crib at daycare, and he passed away at the daycare. The lady at the daycare performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The paramedics performed CPR all the way back to the hospital. They got him back about seven or eight minutes after my wife and I got on site.”

For days, the Tripps waited in the hospital pediatric intensive care unit to see if their son would pull through. On the third day, a CT scan determined that the damage was too extensive and Rory’s brain function would not return.

“After a long discussion between my wife and I, we decided that we thought that he would have wanted to try to save somebody else’s life, so we donated his organs,” Tripp said.

Since then, the Tripps have sought ways to honor Rory’s memory by helping others. They’ve sponsored several charitable events, including one earlier this year for breastfeeding mothers. They’ve sponsored families for Christmas in years past. The goal is eventually to start a foundation in Rory’s name to help provide resources for research to prevent infant deaths and to help families struggling with the loss of an infant member.

“When Rory died, there was a huge community outpouring,” Tripp said. “I had the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department show up at my house. I had the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection show up at my house. I had RPD, Sparks PD. There were 400 people lighting candles outside of my house the night my son died. So, it seems like part of his legacy and something he was good at was bringing people together. So, when we do anything for charity now, it’s pretty amazing to see how many people—both internally at the company and from the outside—show up to try to be a part of it. That’s part of the reason we want to dedicate as much as we can to trying to do something for the community. The loss of a child’s life—nobody’s ready for that.”

This year, the Tripps decided to partner with The Salvation Army for its Angel Tree campaign, which provides presents to children in need in our community, by placing a tree inside the business.

“It was my wife’s idea,” Tripp said. “My wife is an orphan, and she knows that The Salvation Army has always done pretty good work. She’s always donated to The Salvation Army.”

Tripp and Ponce said they’ve been more than impressed with the Tripp Enterprises employees who’ve taken a tag from the Angel Tree and purchased a gift to brighten a child’s Christmas. It was the employees, also, who brought the beautiful tree in the Tripp Enterprises lobby to fruition. Using their collective engineering, design and manufacturing skills, they made the lion ornaments and lighted tree topper.

“We have a tremendous amount of generosity out there in the shop and in the office, and we’re very proud of that,” Ponce said. “They’re the ones that made all of that happen. We did our part, but they certainly did their part as well. We even had some customers that walked in and took tags and brought back gifts.”

Tripp Enterprises contributed more than 75 presents to The Salvation Army’s 2022 Angel Tree program, for which around 2,000 children were signed up to receive presents.

“We need community partners to do what we do here in Washoe County all year long,” said Major Darren Trimmer, Washoe County Coordinator for The Salvation Army. “We feel blessed to have the partnership of a company like Tripp Enterprises with such deep, longstanding roots in our community. We cannot thank the employees and customers there enough for helping make the Christmas season brighter for children in need right here in our community.”

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Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson, City Council members, Police Chief to ring bells

City of Sparks bell ringing day for Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign to take place December 20

SPARKS, NEV—Dec. 15, 2022: The City of Sparks is helping The Salvation Army with its largest annual fundraiser, the Red Kettle Campaign, by ringing the bell on December 20 at our kettle at Scheels in Sparks.

City of Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson, the Sparks City Council members, Sparks Police Chief Chris Crawforth and several leaders of city departments will each be taking a shift between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

“We are overjoyed to have the City of Sparks lending a hand to raise money for our neighbors in need,” said Major Darren Trimmer, Washoe County Coordinator for The Salvation Army. “Our programs serve local people all year round with help for things ranging from utility bills to housing and food insecurity. We could not meet our mission were it not for community partners. To have our elected officials lend a hand is truly a blessing.”

When: December 20 – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Scheels, 122 Scheels Drive, Sparks, Nevada 89434

Tentative schedule for City of Sparks officials:

9 a.m.-11 a.m. Council Member Dian VanderWell
11 a.m.-12 p.m. Mayor Lawson & Council Member Kristopher Dahir
12 p.m.-1 p.m. Council Member Charlene Bybee
1 p.m.-3 p.m. Council Member Donald Abbott
3 p.m.-4 p.m. Council Member Paul Anderson & Community Services Director Armando Ornelas
4 p.m.-6 p.m. Parks & Rec Director Tony Pehle
4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. Sparks Police Chief Chris Crawforth

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City of Reno employees provide Salvation Army with gifts for seniors

Silver Angel Tree gifts to be dropped off at Reno City Hall Dec. 6

RENO, NEV—Dec. 2, 2022: On Tuesday, Dec. 6, The Salvation Army will be at Reno City Hall between 9 and 11 a.m. to pick up gifts purchased by City of Reno employees for low-income seniors in the community. The gifts are being distributed through The Salvation Army’s Silver Angel Tree program.

The Salvation Army of Washoe County wants to ensure that low-income seniors in our community have a good Christmas. Many seniors cannot afford gifts others, let alone themselves, because most of their income is tied up in making ends meet at home. The Salvation Army goes to local assisted-living facilities, nursing homes and retirement homes to register seniors to receive Christmas gifts every year.

The Silver Angel Tree program provides an opportunity for caring individuals to select an Angel tag at designated locations or in their place of work. This year, a Silver Angel Tree was placed at Reno City Hall to provide city employees with the opportunity to participate in the program.

The Silver Angel Tree at City Hall was arranged by City of Reno Intern Izabella Baumann, a graduate student studying social work at the University of Nevada, Reno.

“I decided to lead the Silver Angel Tree initiative this year as my internship project because I have a passion for seniors, and it is my goal to make seniors feel valued this holiday season,” she said.

Major Darren Trimmer—Washoe County coordinator for The Salvation Army—will be on hand Tuesday to receive the gifts, which will be taken back to The Salvation Army Corps to be wrapped and distributed later this month.

“We are grateful to the City of Reno and its employees for participating in this important program,” he said. “We want to give special thanks to Ms. Baumann for spearheading the initiative to place a Silver Angel Tree in City Hall this holiday season. While need knows no season in our community, the Christmas season is one that can be particularly challenging for seniors. We are blessed to be able to be able to brighten it for so many through the Silver Angel Tree program.”

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Salvation Army Operation Turkey Drop returns for 2022

The community is asked to donate a protein to help provide Christmas dinners for their neighbors in need

RENO, NEV—November 16th, 2022: Operation Turkey Drop, a time-honored Salvation Army event, is returning this year with new community partners in a new location.

Corwin Ford has kindly offered to host the Operation Turkey Drop turkey drive at its dealership at 3600 Kietzke Lane from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 19th. The drive will help provide Christmas meals to our neighbors in need. The community is asked to come to Corwin Ford during the drive to make donations of any protein to be distributed by The Salvation Army during its annual Christmas gift distribution in December.

While turkeys are preferred, we at The Salvation Army recognize that they may be hard to come by and pricier than some community members can afford to purchase as a charitable donation. That is why we’re happy to receive any and all proteins, including Christmas hams and chickens.

Both Corwin Ford and our other community partner, Helix Electric, will be making generous turkey donations to help kick the event off. Washoe County Search and Rescue will be on hand throughout the day to help accept community donations.  

“We are thankful to Corwin Ford and Helix Electric for their partnership in this important event,” said Major Darren Trimmer, Salvation Army Washoe County Coordinator. “Need knows no season, and the community of Washoe County always steps up to help The Salvation Army meet those needs for their neighbors who might otherwise go without.”

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Salvation Army celebrates Halloween with Neewollah trunk or treat

This fun event has its roots in the Halloween “pranks” youngsters played a century ago

RENO, NEV—October 21, 2022: Neewollah? What is that? Well, for starters, it’s a family-friendly, church-friendly take on Halloween with carnival games, bounce houses and classic cars decked out for trunk-or-treating. It’s happening Oct. 31 from 5:00-7:30 p.m. here at The Salvation Army’s offices.

But it’s more than that. Neewollah is actually a century-old tradition that’s tied back to a time when kids’ Halloween antics included way more than just egging a house or toilet papering a tree.  

Neewollah has its roots in the small community of Independence, Kansas, whose residents started the celebration in 1919 to provide kids with an alternative to the standard “pranks” they pulled on Halloween. We’re not sure what kind of pranks they were pulling in Kansas back then—but here in the Truckee Meadows the children were very, very inventive.

Take for example, when the Reno Evening Gazette reported in 1915 on the pranks local kids had pulled in preceding decades, like the year when “the Sierra Street populace was awakened by the loud bellowings of a bovine, coming from nobody seemed to know where” until “finally, the discommoded animal was located perched perilously near the edge of the roof on Tom Hymers’” stables, and it took hours to rig a block and tackle to get the animal down. Then there was the time that “half the citizens of the town awakened to find their front and back gates missing,” and it was several weeks before “news of the arrival of two freight cars loaded with gates at an obscure eastern city” reached Reno. Or imagine the scene following the Halloween when University of Nevada “Prof. John Edwards Bray’s white horse” was painted in the middle of the night, “making it the only red, white and blue animal in existence.”

Now, we certainly don’t think today’s kids would take Halloween pranks to those extremes, so our Neewollah event isn’t so much meant intended to be preventative of chaos. Nonetheless, we really enjoy it and are excited to invite you to join us.

This year, we’ll be celebrating Neewollah on October 31, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. There will be costumes, classic cars from the Revelation Christian Car Club with trunks stuffed full of candy, carnival games and live music by Christian rapper Cody Treat. Reno Fire Department Fire Investigator Sean O’Brien and his arson dog, Boston, will be here for a 5:30 p.m. demonstration; and longtime community partner Kiwanis Bike Club will host a craft booth as well as bicycle repair demonstrations. Join us at 1931 Sutro Street, Reno, Nevada 89512. Call 775-688-4555 for details.

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