Salvation Army 'soldiers' grow in number

Staff Writer

[email protected]

Just as churches have elders, the Salvation Army has soldiers, according to Clovis Salvation Army commander Lt. Kelly Berggren.

And the local army of soldiers is growing.

This past weekend, the Clovis Salvation Army added three new soldiers to the organization, bringing the total number to seven.

George Hostler, Rosalinda Hostler, and Marcia Sisco joined Linda Thrower, Sharon Fleury, Joseph Green, and Lily Green in the soldier group Sunday at the Salvation Army.

Lt. Natalia Berggren said it wasn't just a routine task — these individuals had to attend the church for at least a year; participate in the organization’s programs; and undergo training about Salvation Army rules, doctrines and policies for four months.

These are the first soldiers Kelly and Natalia Berggren have enrolled since taking charge of the organization last July.

“It's great,” Kelly Berggren said. “When we got here the church was closed, there was no social services going on — so this is really a first step for us to build upon. And the people that we made soldiers are committed Christians.”

“It's exciting,” Natalia Berggren said. “Because they've become a part of our ministry and leadership, and it's really helpful and a blessing they want to serve God and they want to serve the community through the Salvation Army.”

Natalia Berggren said each of the new soldiers offer exceptional volunteering efforts to the organization.

George Hostler is the local president of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, leads a ministry of music, and was the number one bell ringer during this past Red Kettle season — raising almost $8,000 by himself.

“I felt privileged,” Hostler said. “It’s good to be a part of the organization — especially in an official capacity. When I wear that uniform I am officially representing the Salvation Army, so it offers more avenues for ministry.”

Rosalinda Hostler helps with children's services every Sunday. Kelly Berggren said ministry is “in her heart.”

And Marcia Sisco volunteers to visit people in the hospital and pray with them.

Sisco said she has been involved with the Salvation Army since 2006, and becoming a soldier was one of her goals.

“That's the goal of my life,” Sisco said. “I'm very proud and glad that God touched my life.”

Natalia Berggren said the soldiers are now in leadership positions to represent the Salvation Army during events and social services.

“It's going to help us to spread ministry, we can't do it all ourselves,” Kelly Berggren said. “This is big for us, instead of us just doing it all we now have people we can delegate to.”

Kelly Berggren said the organization has several new programs lined up for the rest of the year, including expanding food services by purchasing walk-in coolers and freezers, and rallying local support with a Clovis Food Project, which will be a community-wide effort to donate food items to the needy.

The organization will also remodel part of their old store location to relocate social services.

“We are not sure yet what we are going to do with the rest of the building,” Kelly Berggren said. “I have a heart for homeless people — and since we have space, at some point in time I would really like to see us house people. But not just two to three months, people could stay with us up to a year because it takes a long time sometimes for people to get their lives back together. So it would be more of a transitional shelter.”

Natalia Berggren said social services are their “heart,” and she wants the community to know that the Salvation Army is here to help them.

“It’s sad that the Salvation Army hasn't done what its supposed to have been doing in the last four or five years here,” Kelly Berggren said. “But the neat thing is there is nowhere to go but up.”