Salvation Army Captains Kelly and Jonathan Ross join the Salvation Army of Newburgh chapter following their six year tenure at the Salvation Army in Port Jervis.

During their tenure in Port Jervis, the Rosses ran and operated the Salvation Army church, offering soup kitchens and other volunteer programs for the greater community. Previous to their time in Port Jervis, the Rosses first began their work with the Salvation Army Riverhead, in Suffolk County, where they stayed and served that community for four years. Previous to that, they also worked for the Salvation Army in Lexington, Kentucky for a brief time. In the Salvation Army, ministers will move around every three to six years, taking on new assignments, according to Kelly.

Kelly Ross, born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, grew up in Amesbury, MA, eventually meeting her husband, who was born and raised in Peabody, MA. Captain Jonathan Ross is also a fifth-generation Salvation Army member. The Rosses also have a daughter who also attends the Salvation Army church.

For the Rosses, they are eager to work with the greater Newburgh community in the days ahead. They are eager to provide services and support to all wherever needed.

“We want to make a difference. We want to work with people. We want to get to know the community. We want to learn about the community,” Kelly said in an interview. “What are the needs? How can we help? How can we serve the community?”

The origins of the Salvation Army first began in 1865 in London, England founded by William Booth and his wife Catherine. The mission of the Salvation Army was that it offered service to all people from all walks of life and spread the word of God through their work.

In the Salvation Army, members are assigned ranks in the organization. According to Kelly, the titles draw upon a military influence. Kelly and Jonathan were both commissioned in 2011.

For the Rosses, having been in Newburgh for only a few weeks, the transition to the Newburgh chapter has been smooth with the help of Majors Johnson and Claudia Germain who ran the site for three years. On staff, there are about five volunteers and two other administrative full time employees. Currently, congregation member numbers are still low and the Rosses hope that they will come back and show support.

For now, the Salvation Army offers services on Sunday’s at 11 a.m. for all to attend. They offer a soup kitchen Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. serving to-go meals. There is also a food pantry from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment. They also offer a bread and produce giveaway from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The new captains hope to restart their Sunday school program that was halted due to the pandemic. They also are looking forward to preparing their after school program come September in collaboration with the Newburgh school district.

There will be an opportunity for the community to meet the Rosses at a meet and greet event on August 11, 5 - 6:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army building at 234 Van Ness Street.