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SAN FRANCISCO
JOAN MORRIS OF the Women’s Auxiliary in San Francisco puts the finishing touches on holiday items to be sold at the annual Christmas Bazaar. |
A visitor might feel as if she had stumbled into Santa’s workshop: tables were strewn with ornaments, fir tree boughs, glittery items, colorful swaths of cloth and plastic bottles of glue. There were even wooden soldiers in the making. The air was filled with chatting and laughter.
No, it wasn’t the mythical North Pole location, but it was close—it was The Salvation Army’s City Women’s Auxiliary workshop at the Yerba Buena Asian American Corps
.
More than a dozen women were hard at work making all kinds of handcrafted items. Some decorative—ornaments for a Christmas tree—or practical—scrubbing sponges for those hard-to-clean pans—for their annual Christmas Bazaar, a little bit more than a month away.
The Women’s Auxiliary has a long history of service to The Salvation Army in San Francisco. In 1977, the group began meeting informally and became a charter organization in 1980. It has grown to roughly 60 members.
In addition to the Christ-mas Bazaar, the group holds many other fundraisers throughout the year, including an Omelet Luncheon.
“Back in the 1970s my husband was on The Salvation Army’s San Francisco advisory board, and we were trying to get an organization of women together. It was just a natural that I would devote my time,” said Joan Morris, founding president, whose father served in World War I and had fond memories of The Salvation Army.
“I enjoy my work on the Auxiliary. It’s a way for me to give back to the community and enjoy fellowship with other ladies. I feel there is no other charitable organization more worthwhile than The Salvation Army