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Table of Contents
Ithaca, NY
The corps in Ithaca, New York, is located within the Empire State Division.
Officers
| Corps Officer | Spouse | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major Carl Ruthberg |
Ithaca Plays Host To Salvation Army Training
Ithaca isn't a commonly sought-after destination for spring break, but students from the Salvation Army Officer Training College in New York spent their spring break right here.
Ithaca's Salvation Army Worship and Service Center was chosen as the Field Training destination for local OTC students who arrived last week from Suffern.
Major Carl Ruthberg, director of the local Salvation Army on North Albany Street, said that it is rare for OTC students to be assigned to Ithaca. The last time Ithaca was chosen as the spring break destination was more than 20 years ago, according to a prepared statement.
The group of students consisted of first- and second-year cadets originally from Canada, Cuba, Korea, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the United States. The Salvation Army OTC is a two-year program accredited through which students receive a degree and, in addition, become commissioned and ordained as a Salvation Army officer.
“An officer is one who has a calling to help people and understand the mission of the Salvation Army, which is to alleviate suffering through religious work,” Ruthberg said. “Officer training college is a seminary specific to the Salvation Army. An officer candidate learns about everything we do in the community.”
And spring break is a time for these officer candidates to get some first-hand experience with hands-on activities and social gatherings that involve the community.
“The cool thing about this group is that they are international,” Ruthberg said.
The cadets spent the week hosting public events almost every night and doing community outreach programs during the day.
Ruthberg said that during the day, the students learned what it means to be an officer.
“We wear two hats: one as community leaders and one as social service leaders,” Ruthberg said. “We host a meal program called the Brothers and Sisters Table that consists of a good meal and worship time beforehand. We handle offer lunch on Saturdays and an early dinner on Sundays at 3 p.m. and during the week we have the food pantry.”
Ruthberg explained that while Loaves and Fishes takes care of weekday meals, the Salvation Army provides meals on weekends and all holidays. The cadets helped lead the worship before the meals and went around the dining room engaging in dialogue with the members of the community who had come in for a meal.
“It's a church and community combined effort,” Ruthberg said. “There are several donors of food and supplies for our meal program.”
He added that many people who come live in single-occupancy residences, which are not equipped with cooking facilities.
“We have seen a 20-percent increase of people since October because of the economy. This past week, we had about 15-18 families per day, depending on the size of the family. And they eat well,” Ruthberg said. “On Sunday, they had hot turkey sandwiches with mashed potatoes and green beans and a fresh garden salad and a beverage of their choice.”
The goal of the Salvation Army outreach programs is to help people come out of hard times like these, Ruthberg said.
“There are a number of new people who have never done this before,” he said, referring to the growing attendance at Salvation Army meals.
When people come in, they receive not only a meal, but guidance, advice and education about how to move forward, too.
“We try to make it as painless as possible. here's what the pantry can do in the short term, but [some] have no idea what's out there, like food stamps and WIC; it's a whole new experience for them,” Ruthberg said.
“We help them realize that it's not forever; you take care of your family for three days and here's what you can do.”
A group of students that just finished a week of field training at the Ithaca Salvation Army. Clockwise, from top left, Luis Rivera, Major Kenneth Wilson, Major Charlotte Wilson, Scott Kobsar, Jae-Seok Im, Jin Lee Im, Crista Bryan, Esau Morales, Kevin Bryan and Zaida Rivera. (Photo Provided)