More than red kettles: Salvation Army Pensacola's new leaders seek to improve each day
People are accustomed to seeing the Salvation Army during the holidays in front of stores asking for donations for their red kettles.
But they may not know that the Salvation Army is a Protestant church and an international charitable organization that serves the community through after school programs, food pantries, veteran services, rehabilitation and more.
The organization does all that and more, and now two new leaders will be driving the the Salvation Army's faith and charitable missions in the Pensacola area.
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Capts. Stephan and Ashlee Wildish are the new leaders for the Salvation Army and started their positions June 26 as they bring their commitment to helping the community to Pensacola.
"Our main goal is always to meet human needs in the name of Jesus and to reach into our various communities," Ashlee Wildish said. "Every community is different, every community has different needs and to figure out how the Salvation Army can meet those needs in whichever community we find ourselves in."
The Wildishes both came from families who have been a part of the Salvation Army for generations. Ashlee's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents were leaders, and Stephan's parents are current leaders who have been a part of the Salvation Army for over 35 years. They each saw how their parents took over ministries and wanted to continue the impact they saw on people's lives.
The couple first met in 2006 when they were lifeguards at a Salvation Army summer camp in Lexington, Mississippi. They married in 2008, were ordained in Atlanta in 2011 and were appointed to their location that year in Prince George's County, Maryland. They were appointed to other locations in Virginia and Tallahassee, and now their fifth appointment has landed them in Pensacola.
The Wildeshes said they want to make sure everyone is welcomed and they serve the entire community from the Florida-Alabama border to Navarre.
"I'm excited about getting the opportunity for the Salvation Army to make a large impact not just in the four walls of our community center, but also make an impact in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties," Stephan Wildish said. "My wife and I have the pleasure of serving the people of those two counties. So making an impact in people's lives and providing a stepping stone for people when they most need it."
The organization offers Sunday school at 10 a.m. and worship at 11 a.m. at the Salvation Army of Pensacola. The center also provides emergency financial assistance, disaster services and youth character building. The Wildishes said they want not only adults but also children to feel safe place within the walls of the Salvation Army.
With every community they go to, the spouses ask the staff and volunteers how the Salvation Army can keep improving.
"Each community is unique and it's different. And sometimes the handbook doesn't always apply in each community, and you just have to adjust and adapt and find ways to make the Salvation Army better today than it was yesterday in the community that I'm in," Stephan Wildesh said. "And in this case, it's Pensacola. I want to find ways to make it stronger so we can move forward in a positive way."
For more information, visit salvationarmyflorida.org/pensacola.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Salvation Army of Pensacola's new captains continue legacy of service
