Two Years After Joplin, Days After OK: The Midwest Takes Care of Its Own

The Salvation Army in St. Louis blogs on Patch: Please join us as we help our Oklahoma neighbors recover and rebuild, assuring them that we do, in fact, take care of our own.

Oklahoma Tornado: How You Can Help the Victims

The Red Cross, Salvation Army and other organizations have made it easy to contribute to the recovery effort after a tornado ripped through Oklahoma City and its suburbs.

Americans across the country are reacting with shock to the devastation caused by a 2-mile wide tornado in Oklahoma. Dozens have died, and President Barack Obama has declared the path of the tornado a major disaster area. If you would like to help, you can do so from your computer or mobile device right now. Patch will be posting stories of locals who are working to help victims from afar. If you know of someone local was affected by the tornado or who is working to help the victims, please contact your local editor. See related on Patch: 

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Volunteers Needed: Ring Bells for the Salvation Army for the Holidays

Find out how to become one of the ubiquitous Salvation Army bell ringers this holiday season and help raise money for families in need.

It's that time of year again when volunteers for the Salvation Army don their red aprons, stand in front of their red kettles and ring bells to raise money for those in need. We're sure you've seen the famous Salvation Army bell ringing army around every holiday season in front of your favorite mall, grocery store or pharmacy. This year, Patch is making it easy for you to sign up and become a bell ringing volunteer yourself! The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Christmas campaign helps raise funds to provide food, clothes and toys to 6 million people nationwide. Why volunteer? Here are the top 10 reasons why Salvation Army volunteers say they donate their time: If you'd like to volunteer, choose your region below and sign up for a shift online…

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Voters Say Middle School Recycler Is 'Doing The Most Good'

Sam Klein, who raises money for charities by recycling ink cartridges and other stuff, got the vote in our recognition program with the Salvation Army.

Congratulations to Sam Klein, a seventh-grader at Parkway Northeast Middle School who runs a recycling charity called InkCycle, and raises hundreds of dollars for charities in the community. Sam won our "Doing the Most Good" recognition program, jointly run by Patch and the Salvation Army Midland Division. We wanted to give readers a chance to recognize someone in the community who they thought was "doing the most good" — and give them a little reward for their work. Sam, who won with 60 percent of the votes cast, and his family win an overnight stay at the Moonrise Hotel in the Loop, a $50 gift card toward a dinner and two tickets to a show at a St. Louis-area venue. He's already received recognition for his work, as featured on NBC …

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See Our 'Doing the Most Good' Volunteer Nominees for the Region

Check out our nominees, who range from a 12-year-old entrepreneur to a nearly 75-year-old triple-threat volunteer. It's time to vote for which you think is "Doing the Most Good."

Patch recently asked readers to nominate a person in the community whom they believe is "Doing the Most Good." We got five solid nominations and were able to learn a bit more about each one, thanks to the people who nominated them. In partnership with the Salvation Army Midland Division, we put together this recognition program to give readers a little information about some of the extraordinary people serving our communities — and give them a little reward for their work. We present mini-profiles of each person below. Then, you're invited to vote for who you think should win our "Doing the Most Good" award. The top vote-getter gets an overnight stay at the Moonrise Hotel in the Loop, a $50 gift card toward a dinner and two tickets to a …

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Who Is 'Doing the Most Good' in Your Community?

Patch and the Salvation Army are teaming up to recognize the individual who is Doing the Most Good as a volunteer in his or her community. Who would you nominate?

OPEN FOR ONE MORE WEEK: We're leaving the nomination period open for an additional week. Watch for our finalists Oct. 23! Read below for more details. Do you know a crossing guard who has been walking youngsters across the street for decades? Or a volunteer who has taught reading skills to dozens of adults? Maybe you know someone who has spent hundreds of dollars to provide goods or services to the needy, or a someone who has spent thousands of hours in service to the poor, injured, grieving or sick? As the holidays approach, Patch and the Salvation Army Midland Division are teaming up to recognize some of the people who are "Doing the Most Good" in the St. Louis area. With your help, we'll name the person who is "Doing the Most Good" and …

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Shalom Yisrael

3:36 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012

Good luck to your daughter Heidi's friend ... Glad to do a favor for Liz for such an outstanding young man like Sam Klein.   more ›

Garbage Bag Gala Raises Awareness About Homelessness

The Salvation Army ran a fashion show at the Moonrise Hotel to raise awareness about homelessness. Designers and models featured fashions made entirely of trash bags and duct tape.

Trash bag couture. That’s what the Moonrise Hotel and The Salvation Army St. Louis served up Friday night at the Garbage Bag Gala. The Project Runway-like event highlighted The Salvation Army's homeless services as models showcased creations made of garbage bags and duct tape, created by some of St. Louis's top fashion designers. Models took both casual and evening wear looks to the runway, turning trash into high fashion. An extensive photo gallery from the night is available on the University City Patch Facebook page: www.facebook.com/universitycitypatch.) The event was emceed by Heidi Glaus of KSDK, and fashion judges included Debra Bass of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Fox2News meteorologist Angela Hutti and Alive Magazine's Gwen Ragno…

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Garbage Bag Gala Tickets Discounted

Want to go to the Garbage Bag Gala? Worried about the ticket price? Here's a special deal for a 22 percent discount.

So if you're like us, you've been hearing a lot about the Garbage Bag Gala, the Salvation Army fundraiser where local volunteers model outfits made out of garbage bags and duct tape. If the ticket prices have been keeping you from coming, then check this out: Deal Chicken, an online coupon website, is offering two tickets for $70, a 22 percent discount. The deal ends Thursday or if they sell out of tickets. Hope to see all you Patchers at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27, at the Moonrise Hotel for the Garbage Bag Gala! You won't want to miss it this one. After all, I'll be wearing this!

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Garbage Bag Gala: 5 Things About Sewing Trash Bags and Duct Tape

My team of volunteer designers shared the lessons they learned after spending more than 100 total hours researching, designing and sewing for the Salvation Army's Garbage Bag Gala.

Just one week away! Who is going to see me model my trashy (get it?) couture at the Salvation Army's Garbage Bag Gala? I asked my team of volunteer designers what they learned about sewing duct tape and plastic. Here’s what they said: To see these tips in action, come to the Salvation Army's Garbage Bag Gala at 7 p.m. July 27 at the Moonrise Hotel. Read more about tonight's event here:

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Garbage Bag Gala: Meet My Designers

Meet the women who designed a wedding dress and a party dress totally out of garbage bags and duct tape.

Meet Sue and Karen, two of the dedicated, creative, inspiring, loving and talented women behind my garbage bag couture. Sue Thomas, of Webster Groves, and Karen Vehlewald, of Mehlville, jumped at the chance to volunteer and create two outfits out of garbage bags and duct tape for the Salvation Army’s Garbage Bag Gala, a fashion show fundraiser to prevent homelessness. Now, if you think sewing garbage bag dresses sounds a little, well, loopy, you’re not alone. “My kids and grandkids are all laughing,” said Karen, smiling. “They think grandma’s gone goofy.” When Sue and Karen heard about the Garbage Bag Gala at an American Sewers Guild meeting, they jumped at the chance to try a new challenge. “We didn’t know what we were getting into,” Sue …

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