Salvation Army brings Chicago couple to minister in Albany

Nov. 23—ALBANY — Just like the military, the Salvation Army has ranks and uniforms, and as is the case for those in the armed forces, soldiers in the organization can expect to be transferred multiple times over the course of a career.

For Chris and Tasha Thomas, both Salvation Army captains, that meant moving from their positions in Valdosta to Albany four months ago. But their journey started years earlier in Chicago.

In Albany, the Thomases operate the Salvation Army shelter, conduct church services at the SA chapel and manage the office that serves Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, Early, Lee, Randolph, Terrell, Turner and Worth counties.

Before entering the ministry with the organization, the two knew each other and attended the same church in their hometown. After attending college in Atlanta, Chris Thomas got a job in technical maintenance at the Salvation Army's headquarters in the city.

Initially, he had no interest in taking charge of one of the organization's centers.

"He came to Georgia to go to school," Tasha Thomas said. "I came later for a change in life."

She also got a job with the Salvation Army, working as an office manager at the Atlanta headquarters.

The couple were married in 2002 and eventually decided to go through the organization's equivalent of boot camp.

"We call it the 730 — 730 days," she said. "You learn the ins and outs of the Salvation Army, the ministry, fundraising, everything that's involved. It was really meaningful. We felt it on our hearts; God wants us to go into the ministry, so that's what we did. It's beautiful when you can do a ministry together."

Her husband said he had the same feelings.

"We felt the Lord calling us to do the full-time ministry side of things," Chris Thomas said. "Even though I was doing well with computers, I knew that wasn't my heart, my end game."

Giving a reporter a tour during the interview, the couple listed some of the needs, starting in the food pantry where some shelves were nearly bare. Green beans are one of the most-needed items, but canned vegetables of any kind also are in demand, as are ready-made meals like chili.

The walls could use a paint job, and the single washer and dryer are insufficient to efficiently handle the large number of sheets and towels, both items that also are needed, that must be laundered each day.

The shelter can house up to 52 people, divided into a section for men and another for women and children.

The operation also includes the A Place 4 Hope center, which offers a location during the day where clients can do laundry as well as use the telephone or internet to communicate with loved ones.

The Thomases say they hope to make checking into the shelter more convenient by allowing check-in beginning at 6 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m., which will allow clients to get indoors earlier when darkness, and cold weather, arrive earlier. They also have extended the time to be checked in to allow those who have jobs that end later to be able to have a place indoors to sleep.