“Midwest Corps and God changed my life.”

– Miss Alberta Brinkley

Photos
Chicago (Midwest), IL Corps
2021

“Midwest is the best” is the Chicago (Midwest), IL Corps motto. The members of this corps work together to serve the community. They are active in music, women’s ministries, feeding programs for the community, and supporting one another in their Christian walk.

A middle aged African American woman with short dark hair, large hoop earrings, and glasses, wearing a blue shirt and pants poses with a decorated Christmas treeLydia Riley
Soldier

Ms. Lydia Riley has attended the Chicago (Midwest), IL Corps more than sixty years. She was a sunbeam, a girl guard, and received the first General’s Guard award at the Chicago (Midwest), IL Corps. She also attended family camp at Wonderland Camp as a youth.

It was the family factor that encouraged Ms. Riley to stay at The Salvation Army for so long, saying, “It is such a family-oriented organization, and I have had really good experiences with the Army. Thank God for the Army and thank God for Midwest.”

Pencil Drawing
Unknown artist, 1987

In 1987, Major K. Kendall Mathews commissioned this pencil drawing from a neighborhood artist. Notice the three high-rise buildings of the Rockwell Gardens public housing project. The Salvation Army served the tenants who resided there. All three buildings were demolished by 2006, and the community members displaced.

On loan from Chicago (Midwest), IL Corps

A pencil drawing depicting the brick single story Chicago (Midwest), IL corps building at center and two public housing project buildings in the background.
A smiling African American woman and three children standing in front of a banner with Salvation Army and Kroc Center logos printed on it. The woman is middle aged and wears her hair pulled back. She has glasses and wears a cloth facemask below her chin. She is dressed in olive green tank top and shorts. The children, two girls and a boy, also wear casual clothing such as tank tops, t-shirts, shorts, and leggings. The children also wear facemasks below their chin.Alberta Brinkley
Soldier

Miss Alberta Brinkley is a soldier at the Chicago (Midwest), IL Corps. She began attending the Midwest Corps with her sister many years ago. She and her sister were both tenants at the Rockwell Gardens public housing buildings near the corps. They were invited to attend and agreed when they learned they could attend without wearing their “Sunday go-to-meeting hats and dresses.” The Salvation Army accepted you just as you are.

Today Miss Alberta wears her soldier uniform to Sunday meetings and says, “This is where I want to be.” She is a member of the Women’s Ministries who helps feed the homeless, among other things. Miss Alberta loves to welcome new people to the corps, saying, “We try to make people feel welcome.”