The Pike County Salvation Army in Troy is shifting gears as cool mornings and nights bring some relief from a hot, sultry summer.

“This is camp stew time of year,” said Kim May, director of the Pike County Salvation Army. “And there is nobody around who makes better camp stew than Carter Sanders. He has gained a reputation for his camp stew and he has, again, agreed to be the cook for the annual camp stew benefit sale for the Pike County Salvation Army.”

May said the camp stew sale is underway and the camp stew will be available for pickup on Thursday, Nov. 3 at the Salvation Army Service Center and Thrift Store at 509 South Brundidge Street in Troy.

May said that her husband, Kenny May, will be making rounds around town with tickets for some of the best camp stew anywhere.

“Carter makes the traditional camp stew, without anything green,” May said. “When you add ‘green’ ingredients, Carter said you have Brunswick stew, not camp stew. So, if you like a ‘stew’ that has more meat and potatoes than green beans, then you’ll love Carter’s camp stew.”

Tickets for the Pike County Salvation Army camp stew benefit are $10 a quart and may be purchased at the Salvation Army Service Center and Thrift Store.

“Those who can’t get by the store, may call 808-1069 or 672-4481 and we will make arrangements to get the tickets to you,” May said.

The camp stew sale is an important fundraiser for the local Salvation Army because the money raised is used for many different things.

“It helps to supplement our food bank and also allows us to assist more people who are having financial difficulty because of loss of jobs and illnesses,” May said. “We also provide assistance to many elderly people who just can’t make it on fixed incomes. And, there are always emergency needs that have to be met.”

May said that funding from the EFSP (Emergency Food and Shelter Program) has not come through at this time.

“We usually get some financial support from the EFSP in the spring,” she said.