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    Donor Stories

    Donor Stories

    Learn how others have made an impact through their acts of giving to our organization and others.

    • How Jean Westberg Took a Chance and Never Looked Back
      Jean Westberg didn't know much about The Salvation Army when she joined our Twin Cities Advisory Board in 1992.
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    • Couple Seizes Golden Opportunity to Give
      Mike and Becky Tracy are living their golden years with much to be thankful for: They have a wonderful home in Falcon Heights, Minn., where they've lived off and on since 1974.
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    • Couple donates $1.5 million worth of farmland
      John and Martha* Recently donated $1.5 million worth of farmland that The Salvation Army will use to cultivate goodness for years to come. * Names changed.
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    • A Lifetime of Stewardship
      Ken Howes spent his life helping people plan ahead, remembering everything belongs to the Lord. Ken Howes devoted his career to helping others secure their future, working 30+ years as an agent for...
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    • Retired Professor Honors Late Wife by Donating
      Marvin Bauer spent decades performing research at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota. Among other projects, he used satellite imagery to analyze natural resources for NASA and Minnesota agencies.
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    • Couple Requests Red Kettle At Wedding Reception
      When most people think of the Salvation Army's Red Kettles, they think of Christmastime...
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    • Retired attorney walks the walk
      Harold "Hal" Fotsch is a retired attorney who spent more than 40 years working as an estate planner. His favorite part of the job was helping people create planned gifts for their charities of choice.
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    • Navy, Coast Guard Veteran a Vessel for Good
      Donald Severson, 91, is a U.S. Navy and Coast Guard veteran who has devoted his entire life to being a vessel for good. Among other activities, the retired electrician...
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    • Tender Moment leads to 15 years of volunteering
      Few Salvation Army volunteers have devoted more time to helping others than Marie Putnam. She's given close to 4,500 hours since 2007. That's an average...
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    • Disaster opens woman's eyes to The Salvation Army
      In 1997, Annetta Nies was 69 years old and knew almost nothing about The Salvation Army. She and her husband were retired school teachers living in the small...
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    • Bequests
      Joe and Anna have been faithful supporters of our organization over the years. Both of them strongly believe that it is important to support and encourage our mission.
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    • Tax-Free Sale
      Howard and Lynn were age 55 when they purchased some land outside of town, and they thought it would be a good investment that they could later sell.
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    • Fixed Income for Retirement
      After working for decades as a pediatrician in a small rural town, Patricia was ready to retire.
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    • Capital Gains Tax Bypassed
      Peter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities.
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    • Peace of Mind Gift Annuity
      Many years ago, Clara bought a home. Since she was so pleased with the home, she decided to buy stock in the company that built it.
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    • Sale and Unitrust
      Gene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. Now, Gene and Carol are looking for a way to save taxes.
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    • The Retirement Unitrust
      Mary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she inherited the farm. Now, several developers would like to build homes on the farmland.
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    • Property Turns Into Income
      Miranda lived in the family home where she and her spouse had raised their children. After her spouse passed, Miranda found it increasingly difficult to care for her home.
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    • Flexible Deferred Gift Annuity
      Lewis is a 54-year-old executive at a large healthcare company. He purchased company stock during years when the stock price was low, and now the stock has grown substantially.
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    • Part Gift and Part Sale
      Susan and Kevin bought their first home many years ago. They had planned to build a second home so that their children could spend their summers along the lake.
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    • Current Gifts
      As is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving.
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    • A Bequest to Further Good Work
      Nancy and David were dedicated volunteers. Over the years, they had seen many individuals helped by the good work of their favorite charity.
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    • Deferred Gift Annuity
      Several years ago Larry and Allison invested $30,000 in what they believed to be an attractive stock. It turned out to be a very wise decision.
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    • Gift Annuity for Real Estate
      Jonathan purchased a home many years ago for $80,000. The home has appreciated substantially over the years and is now worth $420,000.
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    • A Bequest to Save Taxes
      Thomas was a widower who had a great love for our organization. As an individual who had directly benefited from our work.
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    • Leading for the Future
      Luke and Candice spent many years volunteering and supporting their favorite charity. They wanted to give back in a way that would help fulfill its mission.
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    • Give it Twice Trust
      While visiting the Wills Planner on her favorite charity's website, June, a surviving spouse, came across the idea of a Give it Twice Trust.
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    • Providing for Our Children's Future
      Joe and Kathy worked for years building their nest egg for retirement. They also want to provide for their children.
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