Beacon of Hope
“The community here has so many needs. I have laughed and cried with many of the people we help here. These are my people.” After ten years of serving Hoosiers through The Salvation Army, Kristen Linton at the Boone County Service Extension office knows what it means to help those who need us the most. She spends most of her time talking to families in crisis and building relationships with them.
Boone County residents are served in a variety of ways throughout the years. Kristen works with local residents to provide Salvation Army-funded emergency financial assistance, food assistance, and disaster services.
“I have spent a lot of time at the scenes of house fires and funerals for community members,” Kristen recalled as she shared stories from her years of service with The Salvation Army. “I have helped those affected by fires and other disasters find a place to stay and have helped guide them to the right places to get assistance for financial burdens outside of what we offer. We try to help in any way we can. Being on the scene during a disaster is more than providing nourishment for emergency personnel. It is being a haven for those in need. It is offering a hug to the woman watching her house burn, or being supportive to the daughter watching her parents’ livelihood disappear in the flames.”
Each Indiana community has different needs, and Boone County is no exception. In 2019, Kristen partnered with the local police department to house some of the homeless population in the community. “We were able to shield them from the bitter cold and feed them. We offer a hotel stay to people who haven’t had a warm bed or meal in days,” Kristen explained. “The Salvation Army provides hope to those who are desperately in need, being the light in an in their darkest hour.”
Without volunteers like Kristen and donors like you, The Salvation Army would not be able to serve Hoosiers in communities large and small across the state. Thank you for being such an essential part of our ministry.