The Salvation Army has released a statement in response to the recent controversy surrounding their former corporate partner Chick-fil-A.
Earlier this week, the fast food chain made headlines when it announced it would no longer be donating money to the Salvation Army or the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
From our previous report: “Those two groups, who’ve raked in millions from Chick-fil-A over the years, have internal policies that rankled members of the LGBT community and their allies. Activists have long called for Chick-Fil-a to donate money elsewhere, while others have praised the fast food chain for sticking to its guns. The latter felt betrayed and weren’t shy about saying so.”
However, Chick-fil-A said that the shift comes as their multi-year charitable giving contracts with those organizations are expiring. They say they are using the opportunity to restructure their charitable giving model, focusing on local nonprofits in individual communities, moving away from multi-year commitments. They will give to organizations that support education initiatives and fight homelessness, and said that faith-based charities will still be considered for giving partnerships.
Now the Salvation Army has released an extended statement, expressing disappointment in the shift. “We’re saddened to learn that a corporate partner has felt it necessary to divert funding to other hunger, education and homelessness organizations — areas in which The Salvation Army, as the largest social services provider in the world, is already fully committed,” they wrote.
They also said that they will continue to serve the LGBTQ+ community.
“We serve more than 23 million individuals a year, including those in the LGBTQ+ community,” they wrote. “In fact, we believe we are the largest provider of poverty relief to the LGBTQ+ population. When misinformation is perpetuated without fact, our ability to serve those in need, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or any other factor, is at risk. We urge the public to seek the truth before rushing to ill-informed judgment and greatly appreciate those partners and donors who ensure that anyone who needs our help feels safe and comfortable to come through our doors.”
