Local Salvation Army Captains Ready for New Assignment Local Salvation Army Captains Ready for New Assignment

5/8/13 - Although there will be new leadership soon, the mission of the Salvation Army of Livingston County has not changed and will continue to serve those most in need in the community. It was announced today that Captains Aaron and Jenny Ortman will be transferred, effective at the end of June. It’s a bittersweet time for the Captains, who have been promoted to the organization’s divisional headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, as the divisional youth secretaries. They will be in charge of coordinating youth programs for 27 locations as well as summer programming for The Salvation Army’s Hidden Falls Camp. Captain Aaron Ortman says they're excited for what God has is store for them in the new appointment but are truly going to miss working and living in Livingston County. He says "it's been a pleasure to interact with so many wonderful and caring individuals who have helped The Salvation Army here to truly make a difference.” The Ortmans been in Livingston County for five years and have fine-tuned current programs, services and ministries of the organization, as well as laying the groundwork for new services and programs to come. Specifically, the Summer Lunch Bunch program, now in its fifth summer, was their vision to reach hungry families, having provided almost 9,500 meals last summer alone. Captain Jenny Ortman tells WHMI it's been a good run and feels they've accomplished a lot. She says the length of their assignment was longer than most officers typically serve in a certain community although there’s really no typical time frame and changes are usually related to promotions or leadership attrition. Ortman says it’s expected that the new officers will be announced in about a month from now and it will be an immediate transition but she says the priorities will remain the same with a focus on growing the local program and the presence in the community. The local Corps has also adopted a new vision statement: “Meeting Needs, Changing Lives and Guiding Hearts to God”. A community open house and farewell celebration for the Ortmans is planned on Thursday, June 20th at the Salvation Army’s Lake Street offices in Howell. Meanwhile as part of the upcoming National Salvation Army Week, the local Corps will be celebrating with a “Doing the Most Good” week. Details can be found through the link below. (JM)