TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Salvation Army in Tallahassee is rolling out programs to address needs in multiple areas in 2026.
- One of their initiatives includes a donation drive for hygiene items.
- Another involves engaging with college students and meeting needs on local campuses.
- Watch the video below to hear from the team about these programs.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Salvation Army says they see increased need in the first few months of each new year.
It's a demand they're meeting with new initiatives to help more of those in need around this time of the year.
I'm Maya Sargent in Northwest Tallahassee, breaking down why these initiatives are needed.
New focuses for the Salvation Army as 2026 begins.
That’s as the organization tells me they see more need in the first few months of a new year.
"Christmas brings on expenses," said Lieutenant Omar Lugo with The Salvation Army. "Food, gifts, travels, higher prices, wherever it is, that does add to their ability to recover in the new year," he said.
The Salvation Army says they've seen more people who are employed but living paycheck to paycheck and need additional support.
That’s why they are rolling out a community call out for hygiene products.
"Can you believe that people don't have soap to take a bath with? So, that is a concern to me. So, if that is a concern to me, that should be a concern to the general public," said Lugo.
Each week they are requesting one different hygiene item to be donated. This week it’s soap, with a goal of collect 150 individual items.
On top of a push for more accessible hygiene items, The Salvation Army is looking to connect with college students.
"We want to make our building, our place, a place for them to come, a place for them to volunteer, a place for them to seek refuge if that's what they're looking for," said Lugo.
The Salvation Army tells me they’re rolling out what they call “hydration stations” at college campuses, where they’ll show up at various social gatherings to give out water and provide support.
"I think it's a great need in the community and to be able to reach out to them and just show that we have a presence in the community, and to be able to show we care for what they're going through," said Jeremy Bridges, a volunteer coordinator at The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army tells me they are always looking for volunteers if you’d like to help. If you’d like to support their hygiene challenge you can find out what items they’re requesting every week via their Facebook page.
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