A lot has changed since 1889.
As a company, the soft drink giant Coca-Cola was still in the beginning stages of its development back then.
Niagara Falls State Park — the oldest state park in the United States — had been around for just four years.
At that time, there were only 38 states in the United States of America.
One thing has remained constant in the decades since: The Salvation Army’s commitment to helping those less fortunate through spiritual means.
This weekend, members of the local Salvation Army will celebrate the time — 135 years ago now — when the organization first started providing assistance to others in the name of God in the City of Niagara Falls.
The organization’s 135th anniversary celebration will include a special worship service on Sunday followed by a community barbecue and “fun day” on Monday.
Major Andrew Murray, who oversees the operation of the Falls Salvation Army with his wife, Major Beckie Murray, said Sunday’s service will focus on ways God has worked through people in the community.
On Monday, the Salvation Army on Buffalo Avenue in the Falls will hold a “fun day,” allowing friends — old and new — to come together to celebrate the people and the programming that has contributed to the organization’s lasting impact on the community.
“The same stuff we’ve been doing now is the same stuff we’ve been doing in Niagara Falls for 135 years,” Murray said. “It always looks a little different. Every year it looks a little different. The needs of people change so Salvation Army programs change and what the army offers changes. It’s unique in that sense. It’s unique to every community.”
The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 in London, England. The organization expanded into the United States for the first time 15 years later, establishing a presence in 1880 in Philadelphia.
The Army has actually been in Western New York and Niagara County longer than it’s been active in Niagara Falls. The first regional Salvation Army outlets were established in Buffalo, Tonawanda and Lockport 140 years ago. The original Niagara Falls Salvation Army was formed in 1889 and operated out of a building on First Street downtown.
In the 1950s, the original location was acquired through eminent domain to make way for large-scale redevelopment plans downtown. In 1958, the Falls Salvation Army moved to the LaSalle section of the city, opening at its current location at 7018 Buffalo Ave.
Murray said the organization, at its core, remains what it has always been — a house of worship.
“We’re always a church,” he said. “That’s what we are. The mission of the Salvation Army is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to serve people in his army and that’s what we do. All of the social service we do, all of the ways we help people, we do that because we believe that’s what God wants us to do. From the very beginning, that’s always been our mission.”
The local Salvation Army has also offered a variety of community services throughout the years and remains a source of assistance for those in need. Its services include a food pantry, which, during the summer, takes the form of a free-to-the-public barbecue night on Mondays.
Murray said, that so far this year, the barbecue events have proven popular. A barbecue held two weeks ago brought in the most attendees ever — 300 people. Last Monday, despite heavy rain conditions, the event drew 218 attendees.
“It’s been a wonderful, wonderful event this summer,” Murray said.
“The barbecue is about building community,” he added. “Yes, it’s a way to bring dignity to the soup kitchen process, but we live in a very divided world right now and one of the things that is really missing is a sense of community.”
Residents across the community are invited to this weekend’s anniversary celebration, starting with the worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday, which will be immediately followed by a fellowship meal.
On Monday, the family “fun day” kicks off at 4 p.m. and will feature a bounce house, face painting, snow cones and other treats for children as well as a performance by the Salvation Army brass band. The regular Monday barbecue starts at 5 p.m. with a Bible study to follow at 6 p.m.
Murray said all residents are welcome and encouraged to attend. He also said some familiar faces are planning to return for celebration, including former Falls Salvation Army majors Steve and Delia Carroll and former major and office coordinator Corrine Hayes.
“It’s just one of the best things of getting ready for this weekend are all the stories that people have told about how the army has impacted them and the Salvation Army being there at a time when they needed help,” Murray said.
For more information about this weekend’s celebration or Salvation Army services, contact the Buffalo Avenue office at (716) 283-7697 or visit their website at: https://easternusa.salvationarmy.org/empire/niagara-falls/.
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