On 150th anniversary, stats on Salvation Army's impact

For 150 years, the Salvation Army has been helping people in need.

Recognized today by its 25,000 Christmastime charity bell-ringers and 1,232 thrift stores scattered across the country, the international charitable foundation celebrates its anniversary Thursday with a presence in 126 countries worldwide.

Within the U.S., its services reach hundreds of thousands. Here are some philanthropic stats -- plus a few fun facts starring the Beatles and doughnuts.

The Salvation Army, which claims to be the only charitable organization that offers services in every ZIP code, serves more than 58.4 million meals per year and provides 10.8 million nights of shelter per year in the USA. It also assists more than 200,000 people annually in 142 rehabilitation facilities.

The Salvation Army helps more than 30 million Americans annually, with 3.5 million volunteers and 7,500 centers of operation. That includes 1,232 thrift shops, whose proceeds fully fund the largest free, in-residence drug and alcohol rehab program in the USA.

The Salvation Army cooked doughnuts, often in battle helmets, during World War I. Decades after the war ended, in 1938, the Salvation Army created National Doughnut Day to honor the female officers — or "doughnut lassies" — who served the troops.

The Salvation Army began dispensing food and drinks near Ground Zero in New York less than an hour after the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. More than 4.5 million people were helped with meals, pastoral counseling and social services, from 40,000 volunteers, staff and officers, in the Salvation Army's nine months of service there.

After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf area in 2005, the Salvation Army launched its biggest disaster relief effort: 5.6 million meals were served and $382 million donated. More than 3 million people received assistance from the Salvation Army.

Strawberry Field, the namesake of the 1967 Beatles song Strawberry Fields Forever, refers to the Salvation Army orphanage in Woolten, England. John Lennon used to play behind the building as a child. It closed in 2005.