Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good
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Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good
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Happy National Donut Day!
SUGAR + FLOUR + COURAGE
Timeless recipe that is still helping
to change lives for GOOD.
The Salvation Army
National Donut Day
History
In 1917, these women were sent to France to establish field bases near the front lines. In makeshift huts, thousands of soldiers would come to stock up on essential goods and grab a sweet treat baked by the Lassies.
Both the presence of these courageous women and the donuts that tasted of home brought a light of hope and happiness to the battlefield — a much-needed morale boost for languishing soldiers. In fact, the Donut Lassies are also credited with popularizing the donut in the United States after the troops (commonly known as “doughboys”) came back from fighting in Europe.
In 1938, the first-ever National Donut Day was celebrated in Chicago, and the history of The Salvation Army’s Donut Lassies was officially immortalized.
And still today, over a hundred years later, The Salvation Army continues to serve on the front lines through a wide range of social services for the most vulnerable Americans.
Donuts DO GOOD.
All these many years later, we continue to serve in the trenches of human need with a presence in nearly every zip code throughout the United States.
It's the loyalty of our donors that makes our good works possible.
When you give to The Salvation Army, you're giving to an organization with historic stewardship. Around 82 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to helping people who need us most. That means meals for the hungry, shelter for the homeless, care for the elderly, sobriety for the struggling, transportation for the working poor, stabilizing for families in crisis, all while providing the spiritual support that helps change lives for GOOD.
Want to try your hand at making the donuts that started it all?
Below, you’ll find our century-old recipe so you can bake and share these sweet treats with whomever needs them most.
Salvation Army WWI Donut Ingredients
Yield: 2 dozen donuts
- 1 large egg
- 2.5 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 tablespoon salt
- 7/8 cup milk
- 1/2 tub lard (because it is no longer 1917, we actually recommend using healthier options like vegetable or coconut oil)
Directions
- Combine all ingredients (except for oil) to make dough.
- Thoroughly knead dough, roll smooth, and cut into rings that are less than 1/4 inch thick. (When finding items to cut out donut circles, be creative! Salvation Army Donut Lassies used whatever they could find, from baking powder cans to coffee percolator tubes.)
- Drop the rings into the oil, making sure the oil is hot enough to brown the donuts gradually. Turn the donuts slowly several times.
- When browned, remove donuts and allow excess oil to drip off.
- Dust with powdered sugar. Let cool and enjoy.
Videos
Media Assets
PR contacts
For media queries, please contact:
Scott Johnson
Public Relations Director
The Salvation Army Southwest Division
602-267-4196 (direct) | 480-415-4911 (cell)
scott.johnson@usw.salvationarmy.org
Interested in a corporate partnership?
For other inquiries, contact your local Salvation Army: