The Salvation Army, which many Americans associate with the red buckets and Santa Claus, actually has its roots in a Quaker graveyard in East London. Having abandoned the conventional concept of a church and pulpit, evangelist William Booth preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to London’s poor, homeless, hungry, and destitute. Among Booth’s first converts to Christianity were thieves, gamblers, drunkards, and prostitutes, many of whom were not accepted at nearby churches. However, Booth encouraged and challenged his new converts to save others, and many took to the streets of London preaching and singing, eventually earning the nickname “The Hallelujah Army.” By 1874, Booth had 1,000 volunteers and 42 evangelists. A chance reading of a printer’s proof of his 1878 annual report, in which Booth’s mission was dubbed “volunteer army,” prompted Booth to cross those words out and replace them with “Salvation Army.” While spreading the word throughout the British Isles, the Salvation Army was also branching out overseas. In 1879, the first meeting on American soil was held in Philadelphia. Ensuing success in Philadelphia eventually prompted Booth, in 1880, to send an official group to pioneer the mission inAmerica. To learn more about the Salvation Army or how you can get involved, vist www.salvationarmyusa.org.