Did you enjoy a yummy treat on National Doughnut Day? Did you know it has its roots in the first World War? Did you know it is more about serving those in need rather than just a chance to get a free treat?
During World War I women who volunteered with the Salvation Army worked to encourage and serve the US troops on the front lines and those returning home. They collected supplies, cooked meals, and mended their clothes. They also made them homemade doughnuts. These tasty treats soon because a trademark of the Salvation Army and soldiers returning home were greeted with fresh homemade doughnuts as they disembarked their trains.
I first learned about this story from reading Grace Livingston Hills' novel, The War Romance of the Salvation Army. In 1865 a pastor named William Booth began a ministry to those in society who were seen as unsavory...prostitutes, thieves, gamblers, drunks...which would eventually become the Salvation Army. While this organization has changed as the years marched on, it has remained a constant in society. We often forget about them until we see the bell ringers at Christmas time, but they are serving and working all year long.
The first National Doughnut Day occurred in 1938 in order to raise money during the Great Depression and to honor the "Doughnut Lassies" of World War I. It is traditionally the first Friday of June. 
Photos: From the Salvation Army Website
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