‘Mr. Bingle' promotion nets Christmas gifts 
for Katrina-affected
children
By Major Frank Duracher
Southern Spirit staff
Anyone growing up in New
Orleans over the past few generations should be able to explain "Mr.
Bingle," a little snowman character conceived by Dillard's department
stores (formerly Maison Blanche).
Mr. Bingle (shown,
bottom) has holly wings (which enable him to fly), an ice cream cone hat,
and ornaments for his eyes. He also carries a magical candy cane. Through the
years, New Orleans children anxiously waited for Mr. Bingle's daily
five-minute television program, featuring the hottest toys available every
yuletide season. Maison Blanche conceived the marketing promotion in the late
1940s.
For the past twelve years, the
Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary has operated an outreach in New Orleans
similar to an Angel Tree. Through a collaborative effort with Dillard's, a
Mr. Bingle Christmas tree ornament (shown at left) is designed each year and
given to anyone sponsoring a child with toys and clothing for Christmas.
"The ornaments themselves have become something of a
collector's item," said Curtis Perez, auxiliary president. "More
important, so many children benefit by getting nice things for Christmas - many
were affected by Hurricane Katrina."
The popularity of
Mr. Bingle through the years is now helping families return to a familiar and
happy tradition that is distinctively New Orleans, she said.
"Last year we couldn't have the Mr. Bingle drive because
of Katrina. But this year it is more popular than ever, and people are again
proving to be very generous," Perez said.
Maile
Gieseler and her young son, Christopher, continued their annual tradition of
sponsoring children this Christmas in honor of the family grandparents with the
Mr. Bingle ornaments as a gift to the grandparents on Christmas morning.
"It's hard to shop for grandparents, and they love the
fact that children are being sponsored in their name," Gieseler said.
"Our family has been doing this for all twelve years (the Mr. Bingle
program) has been here."
Major Michael Hawley, Greater
New Orleans area commander, recognizes the importance of this particular
women's auxiliary project - particularly in light of the ongoing disaster
recovery effort for southeastern Louisiana.
"Using case
histories of families we've already been helping in their recovery effort,
we were able to identify children impacted by the storm, who would enjoy a
brighter Christmas this year," Hawley said.
Mr. Bingle
is a New Orleans cultural icon as famous as Mardi Gras, red beans and rice,
gumbo and beignets, he said.
Worldsend supports one man's call to Uganda
Salvation Army project will help improve children's
welfare by providing health awareness initiatives, education and
shelter
By Dan Childs
Southern Spirit staff
Easton Hall has for some
time felt called to minister to the people of Africa. He'll soon have the
opportunity to live out the calling as part of a Salvation Army project in the
civil war-torn nation of Uganda.
Hall, 34, will serve as the
project coordinator for an early childhood development program in 13 camps for
internally displaced persons in Uganda's Gulu district. The project is
directly administered by The Salvation Army's Uganda Command under Major
Godfrey Payne and is largely funded by UNICEF. The USA Southern Territory has
agreed to provide $16,000 in funding Hall's work in Uganda, one of the
South's mission partner nations.
Hall, who grew up in
Jasper, Ga., about a mile from Georgia Division's Camp Grandview, served in
the U.S. Army and has served in various community outreach ministries. He was a
volunteer in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort and worked side-by-side with
Salvation Army personnel in that operation.
"I think
that the nature of our team down in Bay St. Louis which was made up of many
different independent organizations helped me learn the different scopes that
various organizations bring to the table," Hall said. "I'm
looking forward to a long-lasting relationship with The Salvation Army, and I
am proud to serve the Lord Jesus Christ."
The need for
a coordinator for the project was identified this past September when Curtis
Elliott (shown below with Easton Hall) of the territory's Worldsend
initiative traveled to Kenya and went on to Uganda to do a needs assessment.
Elliott was aware of the widespread human suffering in Uganda as a result of
the civil conflict between Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army
operating primarily in northern Uganda against the nation's
government.
Kony is a self-proclaimed spirit medium who appears to want to
establish a state based on his own unique philosophy that blends the Bible and
African tribal paganism. His LRA has been accused of many human rights
violations including mutilation, torture, rape, abduction of civilians, use of
child soldiers and massacres. One account states that within a single decade,
the LRA kidnapped more than 8,000 children for conscription as soldiers. Many
of those children are now presumed dead.
Hall has been
charged with the establishment of programs and facilities for young children in
camps for displaced persons. The project will attempt to improve living
conditions for children 3-5 years old. Many of those children have never lived
outside the camps, which are overcrowded and lack acceptable sanitation and
hygiene. Part of Hall's responsibility will be to coordinate the
construction of shelters that provide a safe and clean place for 150 children.
The shelters will include latrines, an enclosed rest area, a store and a play
area.
In addition to improving living conditions for young
children, the project will reduce the need for older siblings to care for the
very young and free them up to attend primary school. The project will also
raise awareness within the camp population of the sanitation, health and
nutritional needs of young children.
Can-A-Thon continues its 24th year
Abby
Gontner, daughter of cadets Craig and Darla Gontner, greets Santa with a warm
smile at the 24th annual Can-A-Thon at Turner Field in Atlanta on Nov. 29,
2006. WXIA-TV is one of the partners that helps the Army collect over 170,000
cans to be used year-round for grocery orders at six metro Atlanta offices of
The Salvation Army. Read about other partnerships in the special
insert.