A little more research on the comparison of housing costs in Indianapolis vs. Needham, Mass., was needed [in the Jan. 25 story on Salvation Army]. If you had provided street addresses and researched lot size and real estate values, you might find the Indianapolis home is equivalent in square footage, bedrooms and baths, but has a bigger lot than the Needham home.

We have firsthand knowledge of the housing costs in Boston suburbs since our nephews live there. There has not been the devastating devaluation there as here. The same is true for the Washington, D.C., area, which has seen a surge in federal employment growth.

The army is a church-based charity and its low-paid officers should enjoy the same benefits as ministers. It is one of the most efficient (dollars in vs. dollars of benefit) of all the major charities. We are proud supporters and flinch when “philanthropy experts” would say anything that might interrupt its long successful operations.

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Courtenay Weldon