OSWEGO, New York (March 26, 2008) - The Oswego Salvation Army will soon have a new home, and thanks to Alliance Bank, N.A. that home will be furnished.

According to Captain Corinne Hayes, the bank donated approximately $25,000 in furniture and equipment for the new building and the various offices. Office equipment such as faxes, printers, copiers, desks and tables were just some of the items donated by the bank.

            “They provided the majority of what we needed for the offices,” said Hayes. “It does amount to quite a generous donation for us.”

            “We’re truly grateful to Alliance Bank for their donation, and the commitment they have shown to our organization.”

            Barbara Bateman serves as senior vice president and regional executive for Alliance Bank, N.A. She also serves as chair of the advisory committee for the Oswego Salvation Army. When she saw the need for equipment in the new building, she contacted the bank's headquarters in Syracuse. She hoped the bank might have the equipment the Salvation Army was looking for.

            She asked the Salvation Army to put together a wish list and she submitted that list to Jack Webb, President and CEO of Alliance Bank, N.A. Webb answered back with the delivery of thousands of dollars worth of office equipment for the new building. The gently-used equipment was soon moved in a truck paid for by Alliance and delivered to the Salvation Army's new home.

            The Oswego Salvation Army will soon be moving from its current location on West 3rd Street to the former New York State Department of Labor building on West 2nd Street. And, although the move will cover only a small distance, it will accomplish big things.

            The Oswego Salvation Army has outgrown its home of 50 years. The organization provides a variety of services, including meals to needy residents in Oswego. The Salvation Army serves about 2200 meals per month and the current location doesn't adequately accommodate all those people.

            “We're just stretched to the limit trying to serve that amount of meals in that building,” said Kenneth Hayes, co-captain of the Oswego Salvation Army. He and his wife, Captain Corinne Hayes, head the organization. “The new building will enable us to offer more things to the people we serve.”

            Mercedes Niess, chair of the capital campaign committee for the Oswego Salvation Army, is thankful for the opportunity to move the organization to a new facility.

            “Expanding the size of the building is going to be a huge plus,” said Niess. “The current building makes it very difficult for them to try and feed all the people and to provide services.”

            The new building still needs a kitchen in it, and pending its completion, the Salvation Army will relocate. Some operations are already being performed in the new location. Not only will the new building allow more meals to be served; it will also allow the expansion of other services.

            “The move is a necessity because of the number of people being served,” said Bateman. “The new building will be able to support those individuals as well as new programs that are being developed or considered.”

            In addition to meals, the Salvation Army supplies other services to the people of Oswego. It also offers a food pantry, women's wellness and sewing classes, assistance for rent and utilities and a youth after-school program. The new building will give the Salvation Army the capability to offer new services such as various trainings and a computer lab. A gaming table will also be housed in the new facility.

            “It gives us a much larger facility and parking lot, but it also keeps us serving the same area we have been serving for 50 years,” said Hayes.

            Alliance Bank, N.A.’s donation will allow the Salvation Army to redirect its financial resources to other areas.

            “Rather than spending what money we have or raising it, this donation will enable us to concentrate on spending money where it can help more people,” Niess said.

            The donation by Alliance Bank, N.A. is part of its broader contributions to the Oswego Community.

            “We find it's very important to give back. It's important to this community's quality of life,” said Bateman. “Our community gives so much to us.”

For more information about the Oswego Salvation Army and progress updates on the new facility, visit http://oswegosa.com or call 343-6491.

            Alliance Bank, N.A. is a $1.3-billion Central New York community bank, with 29 locations serving consumers and businesses in Oswego, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, and Onondaga Counties.