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| The Salvation Army was founded in London, England, in 1865 by William Booth. It is now an international organization with divisions in 100 countries throughout the world. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in His name without discrimination. |
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AFTON, NY, Sept. 23 – The Empire State Division recently honored Afton resident Sharon Jaindl as one of three Service Unit Volunteers of the Year for the 48-county Upstate New York area.
“Sharon, along with her daughter, Sydney, inaugurated the bellringing kettle effort in the Afton community nine years ago,” noted Lt. Col. Ernest Payton, The Salvation Army’s field representative for Chenango County. “In addition, during the southern tier floods of 2006, she got involved in the efforts to help people in need by asking The Salvation Army to purchase a pump to remove the water from local homes.”
Jaindl began with The Salvation Army in 1999 when she saw an article in the paper asking for bellringers. She accepted the task of being bellringer coordinator. Recently, she expanded her responsibilities by taking The Salvation Army’s emergency disaster course, enabling her to assist in community emergencies.
With the other members of the Afton Service Unit Committee, Alice Burnett, Rose Klatz, Denny Sandoli, and Dick Rogler, Jaindl provides a variety of services through The Salvation Army. They include food, clothing, utilities, prescriptions, Christmas Gift Baskets for families in need and a Scholarship to a graduating high school student.
Jaindl’s association with The Salvation Army goes back to her grandmother. “My maternal grandmother dedicated her life to The Salvation Army Church in Bridgeton, NJ. I can honestly say that is why I started volunteering… community needs is what keeps me going,” she said.
An active member of the community, Jaindl has served for nine years with the Afton Cub Scouts as committee chairperson and five years as district trainer. She also works with the March of Dimes, and was on the Volunteer Rescue Squad in New Jersey. She is active in church in the Presbyterian Women’s Group, as a Youth Group Leader, as Sunday School Superintendent, and as Vacation Bible School Director.
She has been married to her husband, Jay, for 27 years. They have three children, and one granddaughter, and are hosting an exchange student from Brazil for the year.
The tenor sax-playing member of the Ventnor City String Band became the first woman to be inducted into the Mummers Hall of Fame in Philadelphia. She currently runs a family business called The Groundskeeper.
Jaindl attended a Service Unit seminar at The Salvation Army’s Long Point Camp on Seneca Lake recently to accept the ‘Trish McVeigh Volunteer of the Year Award’. The award is named after a 2007 Volunteer of the Year who died in an automobile accident this year.
Other recipients of the 2008 award are: Glen Buell from Crown Point, NY and the Randolph Service Unit of Cattauraugus County.
A service unit is a volunteer committee of The Salvation Army that serves the smaller communities in the 48 Upstate New York counties.
