Salvation Army holds banquet fundraiser supporting Aiken's homeless
May 1—Several dozen people came to the Big Red Barn Friday night for an "evening of hope for the homeless."
The Table of Hope banquet is the signature fundraiser of the Salvation Army of Aiken, with attendees enjoying social time, entertainment from artist Brent Lundy and a prime rib dinner catered by the Deft Chef.
R.J. Bednez was the night's guest speaker. Bednez is a combat Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam. Having fought addiction and been homeless after he came back to the United States, Bednez talked about his challenges, while providing hopeful words.
"These people, and I call them people because they are, they have a story to tell, and each one of those stories is different," Bednez said. "You cannot begin to understand what they are going through until you walk in their shoes."
Bednez published a book, "The Invisible Veteran," in 2018, after spending two years photographing and speaking with homeless veterans.
"People congratulate those veterans when they see them in uniform and we tell them, 'Thank you for your service,'" Bednez said. "But once that uniform comes off, you don't know if they're a veteran; they're just another person, another individual that's out on the streets."
In 2021, the Salvation Army of Aiken provided 3,227 nights of shelter, 25,000 meals and 3,936 clothing items to those in the community.
"We have a room full of amazing men and women who give back so much to our (community)," said Capt. April Tiller, chair of the Table of Hope Committee. "...(Homeless people) are looking for that solution to get out of homelessness. A little bit of stability, a little bit of hope."
The banquet featured door prizes from several local businesses and restaurants, with attendees dropping their purchased tickets into bowls in front of the prospective prizes.
