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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.

Quick Links for Services and Giving

Donate funds or goods - Thank you!
Donate your time - We're thrilled you're interested!
Get assistance - Don't wait to ask for help.

What celebrities are ringing bells at Red Kettles in Central Ohio?

Click here to find out.

If every 5th household in Franklin County gave $10 to the Red Kettle campaign, almost a million dollars could be raised this year to help those in need in this community!

An article about our Christmas Cheer program in the Columbus Dispatch says it all.

Text KETTLE to 90999. It's easy and fun!

The photo below shows a packed ballroom, as attendees listen to New York Times-acclaimed author Richard LeMieux recount his story of homeslessness and redeption at The Salvation Army.

Congratulations to Becky Tigner, who won our Panama City Beach vacation trip!

Many thanks to our community partners who are helping us restock our food pantries so we can return to providing food directly to those in need. WCMH 4's Army is taking calls all day Thursday for donations. Kroger has agreed to donate 1,400 cases of food to our pantries, which will be delivered Friday! We can't do what we do without the support of the community. Thank you!

Tradition of Service

video

On his death bed, Jari Wadman’s father gave her his Salvation Army bell, which he had carried with him to the 9/11 disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and countless other community volunteer opportunities at home and across the country.

“I told him I would carry on the best I could,” said Wadman, a Dublin resident.

Wadman’s father, Jerry Spence, lived in Indianapolis and volunteered at the Indiana State Fair, helped collect and sort coats, rang the bell at kettles, and more. He was also on call in case of disaster, and he spent two weeks working for The Salvation Army in New York City after the World Trade Center attacks. The Salvation Army was hailed worldwide as a model for charitable support in a time of crisis for their outstanding dedication and hard work at the site of the attack.

Wadman says she has been doing her best to keep up her father’s tradition of volunteerism. She currently works at The Salvation Army food pantry located at the Chapel at Worthington Woods, near I-270 and US-23 North. She assists the people who come to the pantry by helping them select food (the number of items is determined by the Food Pyramid) and helping them out to their cars.

She has also volunteered sorting coats during the Coats for Columbus program. Wadman says on her first day, there was a
reminder of her father. “The first day I came in thinking, ‘What can I do that will amount to anything?’ I walked into the
building and there was no one in the lobby. But there sitting on a table was a box of bells,” she said.

“I thought, ‘This is good. I’m supposed to be here,’” she said.

She says her father worked for the Indiana State Police his whole life. He started with a few volunteer hours, and when he semi-retired from the State Police, he became a regular at The Salvation Army. “He was a natural leader. The more he worked for people, the more they wanted him,” she says. “I don’t know that he ever said no.” Wadman describes the small, white bell he gave her, that has “The Salvation Army” written across the outside.

“It’s worn, you know.

“He used it.”

Watch a video of Jari Wadman.

Read the rest of the Fall Newsletter. Check out our Wish List.

The Salvation Army has a reputation worldwide for being a trusted agent of donated funds, for using donations wisely, and for stretching a dollar to help the most people in need.
“By virtually every measure, The Salvation Army has emerged as … the most admired and most successful charity in the land,” says Worth Magazine.

To learn more about The Salvation Army, click About Us or read our Annual Report.

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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