A Tale of a Greedy Charity.

Wow, that's freaking rediculous. What a bunch of crooked bastards.

Here's the thing:

The Salvation Army is NOT a charity, it is a CHURCH.

There is no separation between the Salvation Army religious sect & the charitable organisation.

They operate in much the same way as the Mormons or the Jehovah's Witnesses - they give charity to the needy but use it as a cover to hock their religious beliefs.

If the story had been about the Mormons or the JW's squeezing money from another charity, no-one would have been surprised. But, for some unknown reason, the Salvation Army seems to have built up a veneer of respectability.

Hopefully people might now take notice and start to see the Salvo's for what they really are.

Oh that makes me hate them even more now. Thanks Yak Boy! I knew that something evil was going on with TSA.

Psh. Every organization, charitable or otherwise makes some bad judgment calls. And honestly, I'd rather if Greenpeace didn't get the money. Those folks are the Corleones of the green movement.

Well, maybe when you get millions to donate to charity, you can ignore Greenpeace. But that obviously wasn't the intention of the DiStefanos.

The Salvation Army may have made a bad call, but Greenpeace is ridiculous. I'm all for preserving the environment, but not at the expense of aiding Greenpeace. They're just crazy. From what I hear, most or all of the founders of that movement/organization resigned because it became nothing more than a radical, political machine filled with as many crackpot zealots as any cult.

Also, people need to remember that there's far more to every story than what one reads in the newspaper. It's best not to jump to quick judgements. I tend to not trust any news story that seems totally one-sided, whether or not I like which side won.

The salvation army is a cult.

In my city they make some people listen to their sermons before giving handouts (that were donated).

Thanks for the link! I'm glad you are covering this story.

I've had a bad taste for the Salvation Army since a friend of mine went to help with hurricane relief (not Katrina). The Salvation Army provided them with coffee...at a charge. How cheap.

Bad call? Bad call is when you go for greasy Chinese when you know you shouldn't. Or maybe hitting the golf ball with the wrong club.

Filing a lawsuit to stiff another entity over money from the kindness of strangers is so much more than just a bad judgment call.

Let's just say my definition of "bad call" is a bit broader than yours, anyway I didn't say it was a "minor" bad judgment call. I'm just saying that some corporate loony made a bad decision that soiled the spirit of the organization. The salvation army is non-profit and somebody probably got too caught up in keeping the budget tight. or maybe they got greedy, but that doesn't explain it too well since they don't really pocket the money. I mean, there aren't shareholders.

Anyone picturing Mr. Burns writhing his hands and going all "Smithers! Go take those dead people's money this instant! ...Excellent." is probably less right than someone picturing an overstressed budget-managing executive going all "How am I gonna keep this place running?! I'm gonna get canned!"

It doesn't matter anyway really since they will lose the lawsuit, greenpeace will get their cut, as they should, and somebody at salvation army will hopefully get the axe.

Corleones of the green movement? What do you think all the industrialist lobby organizations are doing? At least one mobster works for the right cause.

Without knowing any of the details, my first guess is that the SA folks saw the redirection of the money to the Greenpeace Fund as a breach of the specifics of the Di Stefano's will. Wills designating money going to organizations are usually very specific in where the money goes; it didn't likely say just "Greenpeace", but referred to a specific legal entity that existed at the time the will was drawn up. Apparently nobody saw a need to amend the will when Greenpeace dissolved.

The Salvation Army folks were in the right, following the letter of the Di Stefano's will, as the trustees of the estate had no business futzing with the details of who got what after the death of the Di Stephanos. The trustees, for whatever reason, chose to pursue the spirit of the will, and although I can't say that I would've done the same, I can see their intentions. That said, I can't fault SA for their actions; they were only trying to get the specifics of the will carried out, which to them was divvying up the money between the organizations specified in the will. Greenpeace Fund was not in the list.

Those of you who do fault them would probably fault them regardless of the circumstances, as you likely would with any Christian organization. Guess bigotry knows no bounds.

nuke greenpeace

While I would never give to Greenpeace,
now I'll also know NOT to give to
the Salvation Army. No more Christmas buckets.

Typical Salvation Army.

My name's David. *fart noise*

I thought you'd be interested to know that the matter has since been settled through mediation. I posted a follow-up piece on the settlement:

http://donttellthedonor.blogspot.com/2007/05/greenpeace-survives-shakedown-from.html

Robert Aronson says that Greenpeace is full of crackpots "from what [he] hears" -- but then chastises people for believing everything they hear. How interesting.

Another Jake: this clearly isn't an example of one "budget-managing executive" making a "bad call." A lawsuits of this magnitude wouldn't get filed and litigated without the support of church leadership.

And Dave, I really doubt that the Salvation Army was really "only trying to get the specifics of the will carried out," as if the church were only looking out for the interest of the deceased. They were trying to get more money; the interest of the deceased was clearly contrary to theirs.

The ending of the story is quite telling: the lawsuit is privately settled when Salvation Army goes away with the extra $6 million it would've gotten by cutting out Greenpeace.

Hm, somehow I think that contradicted the explanation of "carrying out the letter of the will."

Knowing that, we need to think about how we are going to use the tools we’ve got to make the most out of them. How can we use this site to make amazing things happen, You can make real connections with real people on here and see how that same amount of money impacts their lives. Yeah!!! send those greed bastards to us and we’ll exploit them! http://www.greedypeople.com

I am currently employed by The Salvation Army in the NE division. Sadly, after working for over a year I have witnessed some of the worst of what the army does not want YOU to know. They are a cult and if you are not a family member and just a regular employee you stand alone and will be eliminated after they have used you up and spit you out. Make no mistake, they are as corrupt as the day is long. The individuals ("Majors"-which is another joke) who run these corps in each county of each state are personally taken care of very well. A $250,000.00 house, two new foriegn cars, new expensive furniture, all their food and clothing and utilities paid for also, all insurance and gas. It is a joke. All those poor bastards putting money in these kettles thinking they are doing the right thing are privately being mocked by an institution that was once on the proper track and was respectable, it is now as corrupt as anything I have ever read about or witnessed. Be careful too, if they know you are exposing their secrets they will come after you with a vengence. This organization does not share any information and is not as any other 501c3 is required to do and is not viewable on Guidestar, they only list the top commissioner's salary in Washington, DC and what is listed is such a lie. His base salary may appear to be low, but what is unknown is that money is just for his own enjoyment, every and I repeat every expense possible is taken care of by YOU, the donor, by providing this corrupt organization with carte blanche to lie cheat and steal from the American public. This organization needs auditied and will be soon, get ready boys, because your time is a comin' to be exposed for all the treachery and lies.

To A Christian, I too am employed by TSA for several years now and am experiencing just what you described because I am not a "soldier", everything you stated is true, and especially about how the officers are provided for, no tax accountability and the books are always a year'n'half/two years behind so you can never really know. Thanks for speaking up, glad I found this page. If I didn't need my job, I wouldn't hang around, has just about finished me off for any kind of church, still love the Lord though!

Bang on, the above comments from "insiders" working for the SA. I, too, worked for them on a four-month contract last year. As a Christian, I applied for the job, because I'd assumed they were a Christian organization. They're not -- they're a money-making, brainwashing cult, plain and simple. I saw how they treated those who came to them for help, and I was appalled. I ended up quitting before the end of my contract, I just couldn't deal with the duplicity and hypocrisy anymore. As with most other charities, the "front-line workers" are for the most part enthusiastic, heart-felt volunteers who put on a good show for the public, while those in positions of power behind the scenes are cold, callous money-grubbers. The brainwashing was most evident higher up the ranks. They put the SA in the position of God.

I have been with The Salvation Army for many, many years. We have it downpat! We preach with tears in our eyes and state the horrible atrocities of the lonely widows and while your'e at it, how about writin me a check for $10,000. No one will challenge the army, no one, we can do what we want, when we want it and laugh all the way to the bank. What suckers we have made out of the American public, but thanks for the ride, it's been great, my retirement package was sweet too.

Salvation Army should be good stewards of money received by the public's good hearts.

Our firm has been priviledged to obtain very damaging information about the army. Do not challenge the army for your life may be in danger. The army will come after you and try to destroy you, your family, your career and home. Be careful.

He realy should have left %100 for the SALVATION ARMY and 0% for GREENPEACE

SALVATION ARMY YES GRENPEACE NO

Hi Joe! Thanks for your input.

Thanks Sally Ann/Dangerous Dan for the warning! I work for the Salvation Army and echo what many have said here. They are a cult. I pray I will be able to get out, and get out soon! Do not give money to the Salvation Army. Give it to your local church instead.

You can get out Anonymous2. It's not easy, but have courage and go for it. You may also find counselling helpful, and remember to talk about it with your non-cult friends and family. They love you and they want to help - it will be very hard for them to see you go through this.

A few years ago my partner got out after about a year in the cult. He was subjected to mind control techniques, expected to give the Sallies all his money, and forced to break off all contact with his old friends and family. They even took away his cellphone to try to stop him contacting his friends and family! It was like he just vanished. For months I didn't know where he was or even if he was alive. They had told him he could never see me or talk to me again; if he had a girlfriend she had to be from the Sallies. He had a lot of mental health issues related to the mind control experience and this is why I suggest counselling may be able to help you.

The good news is that now our lives are back to normal and we have moved on. Be brave and God bless!

I have been working at the Salvation Army for almost two yrs. Everything on here is so true. I have worked all my life, had many good jobs and some not so good, but I have never had such crooked, evil bosses. On my 2nd day here my boss was sreaming at one of the employees training me on the floor infront of customers. We have had many great employees quit because of all the harrassment going on at Our Super Salvation Store. Many employees have made complaints about it to our bigger bosses at the main store and nothing has happened. Because they have free houses, cars and their bills are all paid for. Our manager and assistant manager were also caught on camera by a employee that quit, stealing bags and bags of stuff out the back door of our store and our so called supervisers from our main office covered up for them. The truck drivers that we have don't want to come to our store anymore because they get harrassed from our bosses. We are losing customers by the day because our bosses are so hateful to them. I'm not going to be there much longer, can't handle the negative bosses that I have. I believe that when it first started it was great....the ARC, but somehow over the years the majors, captains, ministers, and all the other bosses got so mean and crooked. Yes, it is a cult. One I don't want to have anything to do with anymore.

This has got to be the worst charity in the United States, and I recommend that no one ever give a dime to them or donate any goods or services to their stores or any of their service centers. In my 3 years of experience with the Salvation Army, I have found that just about every officer and most of the rank and file are corrupt and dishonest. In Indianapolis, just about every set of officers that's run the Adult Rehabilitation Center has been caught embezzling funds and outright stealing large amounts of donated goods including cars, boats, furniture, jewlery and clothing among other things. This "Rehabilitation Center" takes people looking for help and puts them to work in their thrift store operation for no pay, except the roof over their head, which leaks (they require clients to pay for their meals with food stamps, and they must pay for every meal whether they eat it or not.....FOOD STAMP FRAUD). Every employee takes what he or she wants, while a "beneficiary" (the laughable term they give to their clients) will be kicked out for taking a pair of shoes. The "resident manager" is a convicted murderer, and most of the staff are felons of one stripe or another. I know of two honest employees who have been laid off and the ARC refuses to pay their unemployment claims, stating that they are a charity and don't have to pay. And this is just the ARC. The Corps in Fountain Square has a set of officers that behave much the same way, keeping whatever they like (the chapel is full of large amounts of musical equipment that the Captain claims is his personal property, and goes largely unused). Just a little further south in Johnson County, the youth pastor has been arrested for and admitted to molesting three 13 year old parishioners, one of whom is now pregnant with his child. This man has a long history of this behavior as he has worked at other Corps in the US, since his parents are Corps officers and he travels and lives with them from post to post. AWFUL!!!!!!!!!

I, too, have had extensive dealings with The Salvation Army over the years...I was the intake director for one their ARCs in Chicago, IL, for several years. I was considered "senior staff." It is my considererd opinion The Salvation Army is far and wide the most corrupt organization I have ever encountered. They are greedy, unscrupulous and downright cruel. They take the denizons of society: the addicted, the homeless, the socially inept, the down-on-their-luck and they give them a roof over their head and some food (bad and not enough) and put them to work in their sweatshops for free...this is hard, backbreaking work, forty hours a week. At the end of six months there is no "after care" program...the "beneficiary" (the army's euphemism - they LOVE their euphemisms - you can't even "die" while at The Salvation Army, you're "promoted to glory.") is simply kicked back to the curb. Chris24601 has it exactly right. The ARC program is essentially indentured survitude, nothing more, nothing less. In addition, the officers, all theives to the last one, as far as I could see, live like kings, new car every year, new houses, children go to college for free, no taxes (they are, after all, "ministers"), the Army takes care of everthing...This is a dangerous cult, pure and simple, and somehow, God knows how, they've managed to hookwink America into thinking they are a "charity" that helps people.

I grew up in The Salvation Army and had officer parents. What everyone has said is absolutely true. The organization has sold its soul to the devil in exchange for money, recognition, power. I went to their international youth conference in capetown, south africa 10 years ago and was floored when I saw the head of the organization, the General(he's like the Pope)and his wife, being chaffeured in a new, black, Mercedes Benz! I have since left the organization which I firmly believe is a cult. Is there anything that can be done to expose their mishandling of the public funds?

My fateful association with The Sally Ann as their known here in Canada began at the age of 7 and my mother had decided that I would go to their Brownie Pack because our Anglican/Episcopalean church didn't have one and one of the further criteria was that you had to go to their Sunday School - they start early and my father was totally freaking - he was an Anglican Chaplain in the war and while he lauded as most people did, their efforts to appear on the battlefield with coffee, blankets hot donuts - we all have heard the stories! - once home he had trouble relating to them as colleagues on various ecumenical/interfaith councils because there is a lot of private resentment from other Ministers about their total lack of of education - they don't even have an undergrad degree -

My father had 11 years of training before being ordained and Priested - following 2 years in the Deaconate - they go to their own Training College for two years before being commissioned and I don't know what authoritative body is actually doling out licenses to these people to marry people - but it's quite appalling -

I would once again get involved with them in a more vulnerable time in my life following the premature death of my father and certainly found them to be a brainwashing cult like so many people have already described - and TOUGH to ultimately get out of! - they literally swallow you up - I was years deprogramming and decompressing and trying to wash them out of my hair - I did so privately and in total isolation -
which translated into a lot of lonely Christmas' as well - And when I think back to my teens and early 20's - I WAS NEVER ever home and literally LIVED at other people's houses because they condition you into believing that they're better even than your own family - and when I think back to it - my own family didn't even know where I was half the time so it must have been very worrying for them - I even vacationed with them - and did try to put in the usual daily perfunctory call - but still - all that time away from home with The Sally Ann wasn't really all that necessary or healthy! -

They've been projecting since the 60's - 'The Decline and Fall of Christianity' so Church has gained a little more perspective here in Canada because of two people in the workplace and more career opportunities for women - I went on to become a Government Speech Writer - and the need for families to cocoon, connect and catch-up - like we do - It starts with 'Friday Family Fun Night' on the weekend - your life no longer revolves around Church, thankfully - if you go at all it's usually for the more watershed moments in your life - Christmas, Easter, Weddings, Funerals and Christenings - even women can be ordained in the Anglican church now - But I think the worldwide numbers speak for themselves! - 700 Million in The Catholic Church - 80 Million in The Anglican Church and a laughable 2 Million in The Salvation Army - they've had to close the Training College here in Toronto - the 6 or 7 Cadets they do get have to train in Winnipeg - they're closing and amalgamating churches all over the city - we recently went to hear a trumpet player from a prominent group who was extended family to us - and I debated over and over again whether or not to cancel soon as I found out it was with the Army - and I'm certainly glad we didn't - there were 25 people came to the concert including us -but they were ALL 65 plus year old men - so it's not a self perpetuating group anymore - there were more people on the stage/platform than there were in the audience - but we rushed away for a late dinner - and I couldn't wait to get away from there - they give me the creeps and it all comes back - I didn't even have anyone from the Sally Ann at my wedding either - some didn't even know I'd married -

And what's with all the rules and NO Make-up - the women all look very strange and homely and - pale AND could certainly benefit from some lipstick, blush and mascara at th very least -

The defining moment for my life was when I got into a professional symphonic choir here at the age of 17 instead of going to Training College and they HATED it that they could no longer control me - BUT it was the conductor who ultimately talked some sense into me for about 45 minutes one night and persuaded me to follow another path in life, which I did, I was born with 3 creative genes - Singing, Writing (like I said earlier -I became a Speech Writer for Cabinet Ministers here in Ontario!) and decorating - interior design has since become my cherished hobby - and he happily gave me away at my wedding - I think he knew there was very little respect for The Army out there and they were in fact an extremist Christian Cult that brainwashses people -

I made the mistake of working in their bookstore for a mere 80 dollars a week - and they were so upset/jealous by my being in this other choir - that they were going to fire me - AND I could have reported them to the authorities and The Ministry of Labour - trust me - they've HEARD all out the Army and their discriminatory hiring practices - especially against gays - and at least once a month or once every twomonths - I would be taken upstairs by the Major running the store to be brow-beaten, brainwashed and interrogated about my personal life and who I was dating etc. - did I LOVE so and so - that I was in no way good enough to marry into that particular family because of my family background - I wasn't allowed to decorate the store - use the word 'dainty and feminine', which I actually am - I'm 5 ft. 2 in stature - ', so I listened to her and totally extracated it out of my vocabulary - And I wasn't allowed to play classical music either -

I was lucky - our Bandmaster's wife hated The Army as much as I did - SO she got me another job with her insurance company - Transmerica - and it gave me a 3 year window to relax - gain some perspective - save some money - and decide what I ultimately wanted to do with my life -

Because of the disproportionate number of women to men - competition to find a mate is 'rife' and as I mentioned before - they do it with NO makeup, whatsoever (ha,ha) in the Salvation Army and most of the single women are sexually frustated - and talk about sex non-stop - this woman even talked about oral sex at 9:00 in the morning when we were dusting -

But I do like the writings and article called 'Return of the Salvation Army' by Christopher Hutcheon and I invite those struggling with this outfit to read it - but he says - 'Once a mass movement - The Salvation Army can be laughed off by anyone with any degree of dignity and intelligence and has already gone the way of many other evangelical buffooneries -

But that says it all - DAINTY, DAINTY DAINTY!!! (ha,ha) I see where this particular Major recently passed away - she actually hailed from a part of Canada where people are known not to be terribly bright so it translates - she did try to stay friends after I left The Army and I would understandably have nothing to do with her - but I'm very happily married back in The Anglican Church for 30 years and Free, Free, Free of The Salvation - Hallelujah - Really!!!

Hi I live in Ausralia and my experience is that the salvation army is definately a cult. I spent three days in a detox unit. We were pushed (I would go so far as to say brainwashed) all day long to enter a rehabilitation centre that they owned. The inmates of this programme gave all their income to the salvation army, do eight hours unpaid work for the salvation army, intensely study the doctrines of the salvation army all in exchange for a seedy boarding house type room, donated food and medical care that the government pays for anyway. Most of the people in the detox facility were there A) to avoid jail time B) because their children had been placed in foster care and were attempting to regain custody or just plain homeless. I saw dozens of cases of bad practice but most people were unwilling to complain do to the reasons I already stated. Myself and an elderly gentleman were not in any trouble with the law, owned our own homes and our children were adults. We spoke out and from then on he was threatened to put him in a nursing home for the elderly, I i was threatened with a mental hospital (I suffer from anxiety attacks) Although I knew they did not have the power to do this We felt so under their control that we were frightened.They used group sessions in the beginning to find out our fears, incidences of childhood abuse etc and then used tis information to mess with our heads. I had a lucky escape and I thank God I was only there three days