Moving From a Standstill
After a prolonged battle with illness, Kelly Smith’s partner passed away in May 2018. The unimaginable loss she and her two children faced was compounded with ongoing financial hardship as Kelly worked limited hours to support her 9-year-old and 11-year-old. By the winter, Kelly did not have reliable transportation and was walking her kids to school in a blizzard when a neighbor pulled up and offered to give her family a ride. The neighbor told Kelly she should contact The Salvation Army Wyandotte Corps Community Center for help, and her life began to change when she began building relationships with the people there.
“One of them is Marjory, who is an Advisory Board member at the corps. I call her my mom and my kids’ grandmother – that’s how close we have become. She has given us so much support and even watched my kids at times so that I could work,” says Kelly.
As Christmas approached, Kelly worried about how to give her kids the holiday they deserved. All of life’s normal expenses – rent, utilities, food – were exhausting her budget.
“My family would not have had a Christmas without The Salvation Army. I couldn’t afford Christmas; I was totally at a standstill. They took a lot of stress off my shoulders with the holiday assistance,” Kelly recalls. She visited the corps toy shop for gifts for her kids, and she also procured new gloves and hats for them. Later on, The Salvation Army dropped off a Christmas tree with decorations and a box of treats for the family dog.
After the turn of the new year, Kelly’s family stayed involved at the corps. Her daughter received a new, donated bike, both her children learned archery through one of the corps programs, and the following summer, her children got to go to camp. Throughout this last year, COVID-19 has brought new difficulties, but Kelly has remained connected to the Wyandotte Corps Community Center for support.
“In a time of great uncertainty, The Salvation Army has been a comfort. Their actions are heartfelt, and they will do anything they can to help. I feel so blessed meeting everyone there.”
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