It isn’t hard for Sally Hinks to get motivated for work every morning. At her new job as director of development and communications with the Salvation Army, the hope and opportunity the organization provides to those at the worst times of their lives is enough to ensure she is ready to go in helping spread the word about the group’s work.

Where are you originally from?

I grew up here in Des Moines, but I haven’t been here since college. So I’ve been in touch and in and out, but Des Moines has changed dramatically since I went to Roosevelt [High School] and Drake [University]. I just moved into the Beaverdale area, and that’s my old neighborhood. So it’s great to get back.



What has changed the most since you’ve been gone?

The biggest surprise is downtown. The east side renovation is just wonderful. I watched that happen in the Denver area, when the lower downtown got redeveloped. It completely changed the landscape of the city and the activity level downtown. And exactly the same thing is happening here. So, from my standpoint, once you bring the residents downtown, the city livens up.

How did you become interested in the Salvation Army?

I’ve been aware of the Army’s work for a long time, and I have done a lot of work for social service agencies. I really enjoy this kind of work. It’s so easy to get excited about stuff that has a direct impact. I started my career at the national headquarters of the YMCA, which had huge outreach programs. I started there in planning and development. So I have a great interest in this type of work.

What is unique about the Salvation Army?

To my mind, the Salvation Army is the last resort. When people go through the chain of options in crisis and emergencies, at the end of the line they come to the Army. We are dealing with the homeless and near homeless and people who are in crisis, either as families or individuals. Our emphasis is basic human needs. That’s what we’re here to fill. Whether it’s the canteen that feeds up to 1,600 homeless a week or a disaster response, where we can be up, on the road and fixing food for disaster workers in 20 minutes, we really connect with people. I’ve always been impressed with how well this organization meets the needs of those who come to it. On 9/11, within 30 minutes of the first plane hitting, the Army was on the scene. And they were one of the last organizations to leave. We still have a very significant presence rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. So, it’s not hard to get motivated to do your job every day.

People count on us. Any services we provide are free. We never charge for anything. So the money we raise, statistically, a very small percentage goes to overhead. We can stand very tall on our reputation.

How important is the bell-ringer fund raising to the organization?

Last year, the kettles brought in about $250,000, with a budget of $1.2 million. We also get United Way funds, gifts in-kind, but really no government money. We feel like we are good stewards of people’s donations, so that makes you feel good about asking. The holiday season is our most important time of the year in terms of the extent of services and the number of people we are serving in a very short time. So, I guess I would certainly invite people to give some thought to the folks who have nothing this holiday season and help us provide them with a little hope.

Who are the bell ringers?

They are volunteers. We do pay a few, people who ring every year. But service clubs, churches and business all help us find volunteers to do this. We just had an offer from a business to pay their employees for an afternoon if they volunteer for two sessions of bell ringing. So that’s pretty nice. The bells are really important because that is the thing most people recognize and know about the Salvation Army. All the people who are throwing change in those kettles feel they have a stake in the work we do, which feels good when they hear how many thousands of toys go out at Christmas and how many dinners are served. So, when you see how much is happening with the dollars, it makes people feel like they have a hand in helping the less fortunate people in this community.

What do you do outside work?

I have several little hobbies. I love textile art, like quilting. I usually have a little group of people I connect with, but have not had time to find my quilting connections here yet. Also, I have 10 grandchildren, so that’s a pretty major hobby. They’re spread from one end of the continent to the other, but we try to do as much as we can with them. I also have always been involved in music. I sing in a choir. I’m also a closet poet. I have a poetry major, and whenever I get a spare five minutes, I like to pull out the paper and see if I can still string some lines together. It hasn’t happened much since I moved.