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Hope Brigade enjoys high tea with Angela Lansbury.
by Richard Pease –
L-R: Steve Allen, Southern California Division executive director of development, Angela Lansbury, Barbara Allen and Major Steve Smith, Southern California Division secretary for program. |
Longtime Salvation Army supporter Angela Lansbury, star of stage and screen, shared high tea with members of the Southern California Division’s HOPE Brigade recently.
Best known for her portrayal of mystery author Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, Lansbury shared childhood memories of The Salvation Army in London during the Great Depression. She recounted how the band on the street corner and the food from the Army workers gave Londoners hope in a time of suffering. She said she discovered that through the work of The Salvation Army, she could give hope to others; this has brought fulfillment in her life.
More than 65 HOPE Brigade members were challenged to support the Army’s work at the Bell Shelter and give hope to people—like Alex Tostes, Bell Shelter program director. Tostes shared her testimony of the Army’s roll in helping her to overcome addiction and succeed in life.
The tea, held at Los Angeles’ historic Gilmore Adobe, featured music from a brass quartet and a rendition of “Over the Rainbow” by Barbara Allen.
The HOPE Brigade is comprised of men and women who through their vision, generosity, compassion and inspiration extend hands of hope—to one more family, one more child, one more life and one more soul.