An American Tradition Since 1938

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During World War I, approximately 250 Salvation Army volunteers provided assistance to our American soldiers fighting on the front lines in France starting in 1917.

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As the young soldiers faced physical and emotional peril amidst the fighting, female Salvation Army officers Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance had the idea to comfort them with good home cooking,

using their limited ingredients to fry up in helmets

delicious doughnuts for the boys.
 

These women, earning the nickname “Doughnut

Lassies” and “Doughnut Girls,” served countless treats

to grateful soldiers, traversing through the trenches to

bring the men doughnuts and coffee. More than just

filling an empty stomach, these doughnuts and the

joyful presence of the women who worked so hard to

make them provided the soldiers with the boost their

spirits needed during an extraordinarily difficult time.
 

The doughnuts became an instant hit that was brought

back to America by returning “doughboys.”

The Salvation Army celebrated the first National Doughnut Day in 1938 in the city of Chicago as a way to honor Salvation Army “doughnut lassies” from World War I. They started the Day as a way to raise funds and bring awareness to the Army’s social service programs during the Great Depression.
 

And today, 73 years later, we continue that tradition to help raise awareness for the critical services we provide to 30 million Americans in need each year!