HOULTON, Maine — The town has lost two of its gems as Capt. Steve and Irma Pearl of the Houlton Salvation Army have received marching orders for the next phase of their charitable careers.
The Pearls left Houlton on Monday, en route to their next destination, Coshocton, Ohio, where they will fill a similar role in that area’s Salvation Army.
For the past seven years, the Pearls have called Houlton their home and the decision to leave was not an easy one. Prior to coming to Houlton, they worked at the Salvation Army branch in Rockland.
“We really liked it here in Houlton,” Steve said. “The ministry to the kids has been wonderful and we will miss the community for sure. It’s hard to leave someplace after being here for so long. There are a lot of mixed emotions for sure.”
“We will miss the area terribly,” Irma added. “I really enjoyed being here. We have done so much with the young people that I will miss those connections.”
The Pearls said they were both excited about what the future holds for them in Ohio. As fate would have it, both Steve and Irma have relatives in that area. They requested that once the time comes to move them, that they be relocated to Coshocton because of the family ties.
An 18-year veteran of the Army, Steve said he did not know who would succeed him at the Houlton Branch. Irma grew up in the Salvation Army.
“I accepted Christ when I was 30,” he said. “A short time afterwards, I felt God calling me to be an officer. My wife replied, ‘Praise God, I have just been waiting for Him to tell you.’”
The Pearls oversaw southern Aroostook County, providing services from Mars Hill south to Island Falls.
Service units also exist in Presque Isle, Caribou, Madawaska, Van Buren, Fort Fairfield and Fort Kent, providing social ministry and services for those in need.
For many, the Salvation Army is thought of as the group that provides gifts to needy children at Christmas. That effort, however, is just one small part of what the Army does.
According to the group’s website (www.salvation army.org), “The Salvation Army is an integral part of the Christian Church, although distinctive in government and practice. The Army’s doctrine follows the mainstream of Christian belief and its articles of faith emphasize God’s saving purposes.”
One of the biggest challenges, in recent years, was keeping up with an ever-growing need for assistance.
“The need for help is overwhelming,” Steve said. “In the last three or four years, we have seen a big increase in new clients. These are people who have never been to us for assistance. They are people who have always been able to pay their bills, but now for the first time in their lives, they had to come to us for help with fuel, food or electrical assistance.”
Pearl said many people may not be aware of all the services that the Army provides.
“I think for some, they see us when we have our kettle campaign and are collecting toys for kids,” he said. “Once all the excitement of Christmas dies down, the need is still there in January, February, March. By the end of March, everything we have collected in December is gone.”
On a number of occasions, the Pearls asked themselves, “What are we going to do?” as the need for help outweighed what was brought in.
Revenue to the Salvation Army comes in the form of donations made by the public and money brought in from its thrift stores. They also have a board of directors.
“We bring in some income and people are very generous, but we go through it so quickly these days, you wonder how it will all work out,” he said.
