The Salvation Army in Greater Columbus: Doing the Most Good
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Doing the Most Good

Welcome to The Salvation Army in Greater Columbus, serving those in need in Central Ohio since 1885. The Salvation Army serves people in need year round through holistic ministries and programs that offer long-term solutions to spiritual, physical, emotional and social needs. Call us today at 614.221.6561.

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Media Coverage

play button Portable playground installed at The Salvation Army by Leadership Columbus. WCMH Channel 4.

Poor and wealthy alike feeling economic pinch. The Columbus Dispatch

City kids are naturals at camp The Columbus Dispatch. Check out this related multimedia presentation!

Read our Annual Report!

Learn about all the work we did in the community in 2007, and meet some of the people we have helped! Annual report.

Human Trafficking: Combatting modern-day slavery, here in Ohio

Trafficking means modern-day slavery, when children or adults are forced against their will to labor in substandard conditions or work in the sex trade. Although we usually assume this happens in other countries, it is actually prevalent here in the United States, where the price for labor and prostitution is high, and the trafficker makes more of a profit.

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In Ohio, there have been many documented cases of traffickers bringing immigrants here, finding them work, and confiscating their wages to satisfy an inflated debt for their ticket to America.
Right here in Columbus, three cases were reported of well-respected foreign nationals from African countries who brought people from overseas with the promise of good jobs as nannies or housecleaners. Once they arrived, they were forced to work excessive hours without pay and were not allowed to leave the house. The victims, afraid of being arrested and deported, complied.



And then there are the children and teens who are coerced or outright kidnapped by pimps and initiated into the world of prostitution. In a Michigan case, a 14-yearold girl went out to the movies with a 19- year-old boyfriend, but instead of the movies, he took her away for several days. He introduced her to a Toledo man who promised to take her home, but instead he beat her and forced her to prostitute herself at several truck stops in Indiana and Pennsylvania, keeping the money for himself. He was later charged and convicted of kidnapping and sex trafficking and sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
The Salvation Army has historically been an advocate for victims of trafficking, all the way back to its founding days. We are proud to announce that The Salvation Army in Greater Columbus is the Coalition Manager for the Central Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition. This is a collaborative effort among social service agencies, churches, concerned citizens, medical professionals, the FBI, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and other law enforcement associations in the Columbus area. They are all participating in a model that is being replicated around the country.
Rescue and Restore was started by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The group strives to increase awareness among the general public, and to educate employers and workers in certain fields where human trafficking may rear its head: the service industry, law enforcement, and the health field, where medical workers may come into contact with victims.

Read the rest of the Spring 2008 Newsletter here (pdf) .

Please donate now

The Salvation Army serves people in need without discrimination. By putting money to maximum use, The Army provides services, programs and ministries that produce measurable, life-enhancing results.


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    NEWS & EVENTS

    Need Knows No Season Luncheon
    Oct. 21, 2008
    noon to 1:15 p.m. Greater Columbus Convention Center.
    Keynote speaker, Della Reese, of Touched by an Angel.
    For tickets, call 614-221-6561

    God and Country Concert
    March, 2009
    The next God and Country brass concert is being planned for a date to be announced in March 2009.

    Volunteers needed as food pantries convert to Choice Pantries. The Salvation Army's food pantries are all converting to a new model the reduces waste and preserves the dignity of users. We need volunteers to commit to shifts helping shoppers through the pantries. Read more on our news page or call Jean Griffith at 614-358-2627