News Radio WGAN is asking for your help to raise money for the Salvation Army by participating in our annual Holiday 100 with a target of surpassing our previous goal of $13,000.

We’re encouraging $100 donations from listeners, but no donation is too small.

Salvation Army Major Keith Jache says the nonprofit profit played a key role in his life early on after dealing with poverty, learning disabilities and dyslexia.

“It was a safe haven for me, a safe place for me,” said Jache. “And so, as I grew up, I wanted to do that. I wanted to provide that kind of safety, that kind of place for other people. And then that’s when God called me to be a Salvation Army officer, to be a pastor with a Salvation Army.”

Keith Jache is married to fellow Salvation Army Major Katie Jache. They lead operations in Portland after living all over Pennsylvania and Vermont for the past 19 years working for the organization. “I did not think that we would ever be back in Maine, and I’m so happy to be here,” Katie Jache said. “It’s, it’s tremendous, but the need here is so incredibly. Yeah, it’s, it’s overwhelming, but the community is so generous.”

Anyone can donate now anytime to the Salvation Army Holiday 100 at wgan.com, or by calling 879-WGAN during the WGAN Morning News to give a donation over the phone.

Major Keith Jache says they have several programs to help people in need at the Salvation Army, including one to help foreign born newcomers learn English.

“I think one of our biggest one right now is we have our ESL English as a second language we teach over, I think, 90 per semester of students, and we have a waiting list of over 100 where we teach these new Mainers how to speak English,” Jache said. “It is amazing to me, when they come in, they don’t speak any they might be able to say hello, but that’s about the it. And then time they leave the program, they can have a conversation with you.”

Katie Jache says they offer some simple services that make a difference in people’s lives, and they hear about some amazing stories.

“Every morning, at five o’clock we open our coffee window Holy Grounds,” said Katie Jache. “And one of the amazing things that Portland, I think it’s one of the only ones that I know of, (where) we give out coffee, and with the coffee, we like to provide some food, and we talk to the people I know later on in the week we’re going to have (a person where) his story is amazing.”

The WGAN Holiday 100 will continue through the current week to raise money for the Salvation Army