Volunteer Spotlight The Salvation Army in Kent County
The Salvation Army provides help and hope. You guys change lives, you really do.”
Cathy Swanson was just ten years old, living in West Michigan, when her parents got divorced. As a result, she says at one point, she and her mother ended up sleeping in their car. “He didn’t just divorce my mother. He divorced me as well.”
Thanks to The Salvation Army, she says they were not only able to find safe housing, but also received clothing, furniture, and rent and utility assistance. “We would not have been able to do it without the Salvation Army. I really do not know where we could have ended up...I really do not.”
Today, Cathy runs her own hair salon and for ten years it has served as an Angel Tree site for The Salvation Army in Kent County. “I never forgot the help I received and wanted to give back to the community. Each year it really warms my heart, I have clients that love to give.”
(Grand Valley Area Commander Major Tim Meyer pictured with Cathy Swanson Angel Tree 2023)
In 2023, Swanson also decided to volunteer at Angel Tree distribution. Dressed as one of Santa’s elves, she smiled and greeted people as they came in. “I was hoping when people saw me, they would see the light of Christ. I have been where they are at, and I know how hard it is to ask for help. It is so easy for some people to be judgmental and not look beyond what they see. There was one woman who walked in, and I could tell she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. I learned she had four children, her car had broken down, and someone close to her had just passed away. So, the Major’s prayed with her, to let her know she was not alone.”
Cathy’s mother passed away from breast cancer in 2021 but even at the end, she says her mother was still trying to help people. “I want people to know that what they are going through in life right now, is just a screenshot in the panoramic view of life. If you are still here, Gods not done with you. There is more to your life, he has plans for you. The Salvation Army provides help and hope. You guys change lives, you really do.”
If you would like to volunteer please contact Michelle Seguin at michellle.seguin@usc.salvationarmy.org or click here for more information.