Donations in Action: Single mom is unstoppable
"Donations in Action" is a regular series about how The Salvation Army Northern Division and our supporters are adapting to COVID-19 and finding creative ways to serve people and families across Minnesota and North Dakota.
Below are examples of how our officers, staff members, volunteers, and donors are making a positive impact on those affected by this historic crisis.
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. –Galatians 6:2
Please join our fight by giving a donation. Your gift will provide emergency assistance for those who desperately need it.
single mom is unstoppable
A single mom who is enrolled in our Pathway of Hope family mentoring program has not allowed COVID-19 to stop her from achieving her goals.
Prior to COVID-19, one of our case workers helped this mother find housing and get enrolled in a GED program. By early March, the mother and her 2-year-old son had moved into an apartment, and the mother was taking in-person education classes.
Unfortunately, the mother’s goal of obtaining her high school diploma became much more complicated when Minnesota’s stay-at-home order forced her to stay in her apartment without daycare. Suddenly, she was put in the difficult position of juggling online schooling with caring for her toddler.
Our case worker encouraged the mother not to give up. The case worker showered her with nonstop support, regularly calling her and delivering food to her home.
The mother succeeded. Last week, she earned enough credits to obtain her high school diploma. Her next goals are to find a job and daycare, and get a driver’s license.
“I am so excited to see what is ahead for this mother and her bright future,” the case worker said.
Hitting the reset button
COVID-19 has caused many people to hit the reset button and focus on what is most important in their lives.
This is particularly true for the dozens of formerly homeless young men and women who live at Booth Brown House of St. Paul, a Salvation Army housing facility for young adults. Rather than focus on the negative, most of these young residents are staying positive amid the many challenges they are facing – such as job losses and the psychological toll of being quarantined.
During multiple meetings, our case workers have heard residents explain how COVID-19 has created space for them to re-focus their values and priorities. The residents have talked about improving their budgeting, re-establishing mental health support, and finding new and better employment.
“It is inspiring to see such optimism during an unprecedented pandemic,” one case worker said.
Read about a Booth Brown House resident named Isaac.
Scary ultimatum
A single mother was facing eviction from the home she’d rented for years.
Ironically, she didn’t need help paying the rent. Instead, she needed help paying to repair the home’s garage, which had been vandalized. Her landlord had given her an ultimatum: pay the repair cost and keep the house, or ignore the damage and be kicked out.
This mother, with great integrity, paid $700 toward the repairs, which was not covered by insurance. But she still needed more money to cover the balance of the repair bill.
She contacted The Salvation Army for help. Although we could not pay the entire remaining balance of the repair bill, we found another agency that was willing to split the cost with us.
Problem solved. The mother was able to get the garage fixed in time to satisfy her landlord, while paying the monthly rent herself. She was grateful to The Salvation Army and its donors for the referral and the financial assistance she received.
Please join The Salvation Army in serving those affected by the COVID-19 crisis by giving a donation or signing up to volunteer. Your help will provide emergency assistance and hope for people and families in desperate need.
If you are feeling lonely, fearful or hopeless due to the COVID-19 crisis, call our Emotional and Spiritual Care Hotline at 877-220-4195 anytime between 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Central Time. Trained Salvation Army officers, employees and volunteers will be available to talk, listen to you, and pray for you.