Extending a Pathway of Hope
For some metro Detroit individuals and families, the future has never looked brighter. People who receive regular assistance from The Salvation Army are now eligible for a new program that has just recently been implemented in 30 Corps across the country. Through this new, long-term management program, known as The Pathway of Hope, repeat emergency assistance applicants work to transition from dependency to self-sufficiency. The Pathway of Hope project enables us to sit down one-on-one with clients, discover where they are, where they would like to go, and how to move forward. The program works because it allows clients to chart a path forward to increased stability and gives them ownership and accountability for the direction their lives take. Our caseworkers seek deep connections with program beneficiaries in order to pinpoint the root causes of their poverty and “build hope at each step” of the process towards independence. This program enables our staff to look the client in the eye on a regular basis and say to them: “You are worth the effort it will take to move beyond where you are, and we believe in you.” As a part of The Pathway of Hope project, participants are eligible for one-on-one counseling, life-skill training and the resources available to help move from “just surviving” mode to full-on stability.