Donor Profile: Rose Wilson
Here in the Maritimes, and around the world, The Salvation Army depends on the support of its donors to deliver key programming to the most vulnerable in our communities. We caught up with Rose Wilson to learn a little more on the importance of giving back.
Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Rose Wilson went to work for the University of Birmingham in their engineering department. It was there where she met her husband who was attending school on a two-year scholarship.
At the end of the two years, Rose and her husband moved to Montreal, where they stayed for three years until settling down in Halifax. Rose is a mother of four boys, three of whom work in the family business. She still maintains an office, offering moral support, although she smartly removed the phone from her desk.
How did you first hear about The Salvation Army?
Rose Wilson: I have heard about The Salvation Army way back when they had the door-to-door Red Shield Campaign. It was a number of years ago but I always remembered the work they were doing.
Is there an aspect of our work that is especially important to you?
RW: What I like about The Salvation Army is that it really is the true form of Christianity. They really have strong beliefs, but that isn’t foremost in their work, their foremost mission is to help people in need. They’re just always reaching out to people that others may not think about, and that’s what I think is the true form of Christianity. I really think The Salvation Army is a special organization.
When you made your last donation, how did you feel?
RW: I felt really good. When they had their last campaign I made a fairly sizeable contribution and there was no question about it when I was asked. I just felt that it was very important and it was high on my giving priorities. I get a lot of asks through the mail and I tend to give, but I’m always very appreciative that the people at The Salvation Army keep in touch with their donors. They make sure they can see how their donations are being spent and how they are giving back to the community.
What would you tell someone who is thinking of making a donation to The Salvation Army?
RW: I would say in this day in age, a person receives a lot of asks for charitable donations, and when making their decisions they should really look hard at The Salvation Army and the wonderful work they do, not only in the community but their ability to tackle new problems. I would say they should put The Salvation Army at the top of their giving lists because it is such a worthwhile organization.
What would someone be surprised to know about you?
RW: I love to travel, and I just recently got back from Turkey where I had a run in with a horse and carriage on a very steep incline! I’m really just one of those people that doesn’t hold back on how they feel so I don’t think anybody would be too surprised about anything they learned about me, and they probably already know it.
