Donor knows importance of going without

Salvation Army donor Toni Yeamans knows a lot about finance and charity. The Minneapolis resident worked in the financial industry for decades, including 20 years of performing a task many people view as tedious: proofing financial reports.

"I loved the job," Toni admitted. "In every financial report there was a mistake — and I was going to find it. I viewed it like a puzzle, and I love puzzles."

She also loves volunteering for local charities — including The Salvation Army. After she retired in 2016, she spent four years serving hot lunches at the South Minneapolis Salvation Army once a week.

"I liked helping people have lunch in a nice place," Toni explained. "It was obvious that many of those people had a rough life and had nothing."

The idea of going without is not lost on Toni, who often reflects on a poignant question she heard a Catholic priest ask many years ago: When is the last time you went without something because you gave too much?

"That question has always stuck with me," Toni said. "It's a question about priorities. People seem to give only when they have extra. What we're supposed to do is give first, then live."

Three years ago, Toni expanded her generosity by establishing a planned gift to The Salvation Army.

"Including The Salvation Army in my trust made sense, because people need what The Salvation Army offers," she said.

To learn more about including The Salvation Army in your will or trust, or adding The Salvation Army as a beneficiary to your Donor Advised Fund, please call Tom Cierzan, Senior Director of Gift and Estate Planning, at 651-746-3515.