Always about people finding freedom - Dorothy Jones

From its early days when The Salvation Army band used to march down main streets and perform open-air meetings, to today when Salvos can be found providing welfare assistance or running children’s groups; one thing has remained the same – The Salvation Army is about people finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from neglect. Freedom from poverty and addiction. Freedom to dream. Freedom to love. Freedom to make a difference. Freedom to live life to the full and freedom through Jesus.

A centenary celebrations booklet, prepared for Marrickville Salvation Army, records the freedom story of Auxiliary Captain Dorothy Jones:

For many years I virtually lived in hotels and at race tracks. At one hotel in Marrickville a Salvation Army officer’s wife called each week with The War Cry, and on one of these visits I told her I had connections with the Army in Lithgow. This became a point of interest and every Friday the officer’s wife invited me to attend but I kept putting it off. One night at home after a particularly bad session with the bottle I was watching television. I heard a voice say: ‘You go to church tomorrow’. When I got up in the morning I didn’t go to church but the voice continued that afternoon so I got ready and went down to the Army. I continued attending and after three weeks I made my decision for Christ. Dot Jones, as she was known to friends, served faithfully for nine years as a full-time officer.