MUSCATINE, Iowa–For the first time in three years, Muscatine residents have the chance to welcome a new pair of Salvation Army officers to town. June 26, Lieutenants Lucas and Macy Gantner arrived in Muscatine and started to get acquainted with their new home and start determining how they can keep the Salvation Army of Muscatine County’s service to the community going. The Gantners will take over as previous Salvation Army of Muscatine County Lieutenants Greg and Liz Bock and their family transition to serving in Cadillac, Michigan, nearer to Liz Bock’s family.
Both Gantners have only just started their careers as Salvation Army lieutenants. Lucas Gantner just recently finished his training, which took place primarily in Chicago but also involved working in Omaha, Nebraska and Des Moines. Macy Gantner has served as an officer for one year, which she spent working in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.
Though they may not have served long as lieutenants, both of the Gantners have previous experience with the Salvation Army. Macy Gantner has volunteered with them since the age of 12, when she discovered that volunteering could help her overcome the challenges she faced. “I had a difficult home life, so the Salvation Army was my safe place,” she said.
As Macy Gantner grew up, she knew she wanted the Salvation Army to continue playing an important role in her life, and she kept volunteering in different capacities, including going on summer mission trips to Papua New Guinea and India. While in training, Gantner also spent time working in Minnesota and North Dakota. She looks forward to continuing her service with the Salvation Army into the future. She shared, “I want to give back to the Salvation Army just like they gave to us.”
Lucas Gantner felt inspired to get involved with the Salvation Army after getting familiar with how red kettle season allows them to provide many services in the communities they serve. He remembers, “I saw everything the Salvation Army did for people around that time.”
Though the Gantners initially felt surprised about getting sent to Muscatine, as neither of them had heard of it before, they quickly embraced their first placement together. Macy Gantner detailed, “once it had sunk in for a bit, the excitement swells because it’s your place and you get to serve there and make it your home.”
Naturally outgoing, Macy Gantner welcomes getting to know people in Muscatine and to drawing inspiration from them for what projects the Salvation Army of Muscatine County should pursue. A reader and a walker, Lucas Gantner will enjoy the many trails Muscatine has to offer, as well as the wealth of resources available at the Musser Public Library. He also plans to continue some of the Bock’s Red Kettle Campaign traditions, including spending some time in the giant red kettle.
Though the Gantner’s know they have big shoes to fill, as Greg and Liz Bock have done much to benefit local residents and to cultivate friendships with them, they also know that they too will make their mark on the community. “We’re not going to be Greg and Liz Bock, not even for a minute, but we’ll be us, and we think you’ll see why you’ll love us,” Macy Gantner asserted.
