Meet Lorrie Davis

Lorrie Davis is a Donor Relations Director in the Cascade Division. She started working for The Salvation Army when she was 14 as a camp counselor before taking other roles that led to her current position. Here she shares more about her work and motivations for Doing the Most Good.

How do you explain what you do to someone unfamiliar with your work?

I tell them I get to help raise funds for the amazing things The Salvation Army is doing. Mostly I see myself advocating for underprivileged kids who come from backgrounds similar to my own—I was raised by a single mom who turned to the Army for resources. By telling stories, by raising money, we allow the program services to continue.

What is your earliest memory of connecting with The Salvation Army?

I have a really vague memory of my brothers bringing me to a jamboree or something similar, and I was too little to go, but my mom had to work. The van had come to pick up my brothers, but they said they couldn’t go because they had to watch me. The officer said I should come, too. Once we got there, I remember a gym with splashes of balloons.

Normally, whenever the van would come and go I would cry because I couldn’t go—I was too young. Any time I could go to The Salvation Army I would. I was always the alarm clock for the entire house. I was always ready way ahead. I have a lot of early memories. I do remember loving camp, and just really looking forward to going to the corps every week.

What is one way you identify with what The Salvation brand promises?

The people The Salvation Army attracts to serve and to work are so passionate and give all that they have to build the relationships, even with limited resources and not the best circumstances. They’re people who really see this as a battle and we’re making a difference in the battlefield. We don’t have all the fancy stuff, but we will use what we have to the best of our ability. Because of what was done for me, I’ve always felt a debt to do something. It’s strong, but it’s not with drudgery. It’s a joy to do it.

Describe a moment in your early life that deeply influenced you and, in some way perhaps, led you to the work you do today.

I was 10 and the officers that came when I was in 5th grade really impacted my life. They were there until I was a junior in high school. I didn’t have a dad and that officer was a father figure at a critical time in my life. If I didn’t have that consistency of leadership, of having somebody in my corner to tell me what was right and what was wrong, I don’t know what my outcome would have been. It really is critical. It can make the difference between a death and the incredible. It’s a really a privilege to be a part of the work of The Salvation Army because we don’t just talk, we do.