MARYSVILLE – The Salvation Army does a lot more than feed the homeless and ring bells.

“We do so much more,” Michelle Rutherford of the Marysville Salvation Army said.

She talked about everything the local one does at its Third Annual Hands of Hope dinner-auction Thursday night at the Opera House.

The Salvation Army also offers utility assistance; programs to help single parents, youths, women and men; and spiritual education; along with homeless prevention services, clothing and toiletries, and hot meals.

The event brought in thousands of dollars in donations. Among the items in a silent auction was a one-week stay at a condo on the shores of Lake Chelan, valued at $1,255. Other top items were a one-night stay at the Tulalip Resort Casino and a football signed by Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Forty-one items valued at about $5,000 were auctioned off.

Attendees also participated in a live dessert auction. A chocolate tort cake brought in $100. The 18 items brought in another $1,000.

Participants also were asked to sign a pledge card, ranging from a one-time $25 gift to $300 a month.

Lynn McCoy talked about how the Salvation Army saved her life when she was 12. She was homeless, staying overnight in a depot in the Bay Area. Someone from the Salvation Army saved her, and she now gives back.

“They raised someone left for dead to life,” McCoy said. “I was homeless for one night, and it was terrifying.”

McCoy said the Salvation Army does not have administrators with high salaries.

“The money you give goes to the people,” she said.