FEBRUARY 2018 14 | Jeff Taylor, The Salvation Army Phoenix advisory board chairman, has firsthand experience with these services. The youngest of six kids, he grew up in Phoenix and went on to become a stock options trader. During his 20s he became addicted to alcohol and cocaine and by the time he was 34, he was living on the Phoenix streets. After being arrested for drug-related felonies, he was sent to The Salvation Army Harbor Light drug treatment program, which changed the course of his life. He graduated the program, went back to college, and began running The Salvation Army’s Herberger Child Care and Nursery. “I can’t tell you the life that I lived,” he said. “What other organization would take a homeless drug addict and help him become the chairman of their board? There isn’t any other organization that would do that.” Another critical Salvation Army service is Arizona’s heat-relief program, known as the Red Shield Survival Squad. “Heat relief is distinct about our work here,” said Geoff Gephart, Southwest divisional director of community relations and development. “It’s not just water. It’s having air-conditioning. We have cooling centers in all of our sites. When an excessive heat warning is called, all of our centers activate and are open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.” The Red Shield Survival Squad served more than 10,000 people in 2017. “We’ve helped people find housing, shelters. We have literally saved lives,” said Colonel Hogan. Like an army on march, The Salvation Army identifies and adapts to changing needs and moves on to new ventures. “Programs come and go,” Gephart said. “The Army continues to meet the current need and if there are other organizations that will take it on or that need goes away, we refocus our services on unmet COVER STORY CONTINUED 75 Years Xavier College Prep Founded by the Jesuit fathers of St. Francis Xavier Parish in 1943, Xavier College Prep graduated its first class in 1947. While the college preparatory Roman Catholic high school was initially housed on the second floor of Loyola Hall at Brophy, it opened its own location in the heart of downtown Phoenix in 1953 with just 11 faculty members and 174 students. Now, 75 years later, it continues its mission to prepare young women of faith with the skills and education needed to excel in a global society. Since its initial move, the school has added several new buildings, including the Virginia G. Piper Performing Arts Center, the Activity Center, and the Vestar Hall and Steele Educational Complex. Xavier College Prep has continued to be recognized nationally for its strong academics and was the first Arizona high school to be honored by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence multiple times. It has also been recognized by the Catholic High School Honor Roll and the Siemens Foundation and College Board, to name a few. Today, the school’s community includes 1,200 students, their families and nearly 9,000 alumnae across the world.

FEBRUARY 2018 | 15 needs. That makes us unique in the social service world.” Of course, some programs are hallmarks of The Salvation Army. Chief among them, the Army’s signature Red Kettle. Introduced in 1891 as a way to provide free holiday dinners to the poor, the Red Kettle provides a significant portion of the Army’s funds. In fact, Red Kettle collections make up 25 to 28 percent of donations to The Salvation Army in Metro Phoenix alone, helping to serve 325,000 people every year. “It’s really a holiday tradition,” said Marlene Klotz-Collins, an advisory board member of The Salvation Army Metro Phoenix for 35 years, as well as a member of the National Advisory Board for 19 years. “The Christmas carol ‘Silver Bells’ is about The Salvation Army. Those are our bells they are singing about!” For many people, the Red Kettle provides their first experience with giving. “It helps instill philanthropy in families,” said Gephart. “All of us probably remember as a child asking mom or dad for change to put in the kettle. You can’t put a value on that.” Plus, when people donate, their dollars stay local, something the Army is very proud about. “Whether it’s Flagstaff, Tucson, Lake Havasu, it doesn’t matter,” said Taylor. “If you donate at the kettle or if you donate online and designate a specific ZIP code, that’s where the money goes.” The great majority of that money goes directly toward programming, rather than salaries or marketing costs. “83 cents of every dollar goes to services, unless it’s a disaster. If it’s a disaster, it’s 100 percent,” said Klotz-Collins. COVER STORY CONTINUED The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center offers swim lessons for every stage of swimmer, along with a host of other activities. No reservations, no restrictions. The Salvation Army provides a festive meal to thousands of Arizonans each Thanksgiving and Christmas.