A 90-year journey of faith, family and service through the Salvation Army
KYW
By Wakisha Bailey
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PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — For Lt. Colonel Barbara George, the mission to make The Joy of Sharing with the Salvation Army possible isn’t just part of her work. It’s part of her family’s story.
Every time George buttons her Salvation Army uniform, she thinks about the path that brought her here.
“This uniform has opened so many doors for me,” George said. “It’s a reminder every single day of who I serve and why I serve.”
George has been connected to the Salvation Army her entire life — 62 years and counting. But her family’s relationship with the organization stretches back even further.
In 1934, George’s grandmother was suddenly widowed, pregnant with her seventh child and raising a family in Brooklyn with no support systems for widows.
“When she was 10, her dad died,” George said. “My grandmother was pregnant with her seventh child. It’s 1934, Brooklyn, New York. There are no services for widows.”
With few options, her grandmother turned to a small church for help — a church that would change everything.
That church was the Salvation Army.
The support George’s grandmother received sparked a lifelong connection. George’s mother grew up in that same church, fell in love with music and began serving others through it.
Her mother’s compassion and creativity shaped George’s childhood and ultimately inspired her own calling.
“I knew God was calling me to do something bigger,” George said, “and it involved giving back to people.”
Today, the Salvation Army provides far more than Sunday services. It offers meals, social services, emergency assistance, youth programs and spiritual support for families across the region.
During the holidays, their work becomes especially visible — and incredibly meaningful — through The Joy of Sharing campaign.
George and her husband, Lt. Colonel Edgar George, trade their uniforms for holiday hats this time of year, joining volunteers and officers who serve record numbers of families.
“Our officers work so hard. At every location, there are people in record numbers of need, and the need just continues to grow,” George said. “The joy of sharing, it’s something circumstances can’t touch.”
George met her husband in officer training college, and they were commissioned together in 1989. Their shared calling became a shared life.
Today, as divisional officers, they oversee toy distributions across the region — ensuring gifts arrive on time and spirits stay high.
“I’ll be down there next week handing out toys because that’s my joy, to be with the people,” George said.
Their commitment is generational. The George family’s legacy continues through their children, who also serve as Salvation Army officers. Even their grandson plays a role in holiday efforts.
What started as a single act of support for a struggling family in 1934 has grown into a multi-generational mission of service.
This holiday season, the George family’s story reminds us that compassion can echo through generations — and that the joy of sharing is one gift that never fades.
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