Donations in Action: Never give up
Many of the people The Salvation Army serves are in the middle of crazy, unpredictable circumstances. Their stories can be heartbreaking, uplifting and everything in between.
Here are some of their stories, submitted by Salvation Army social workers and caseworkers from across Minnesota and North Dakota. Out of respect for the people involved, we are retelling the stories without using names.
If you have ever wondered how The Salvation Army uses your donations, here are some good examples:
Never give up
After making huge amounts of progress, the family I’d been counseling almost stopped trying.
The husband had worked hard to further his education, which led to him securing a better job. This positive step resulted in more income for the family. However, the husband ended up earning too much money to qualify for certain government benefits that the family had previously relied upon. Ultimately, this situation resulted in the family being worse off financially than they were before.
Using focused case management, I continued to support the family by showing them the long-term benefits of remaining employed, saving money where they could, making wiser financial decisions, and staying the course.
Today, the wife messaged me to say the family is committed to living independently of government supports. “Thank you for hanging in there with us!” she wrote.
I am proud of this family for not giving up. It is a privilege to serve them.
Wait yields unexpected benefit
A young mother came to our office seeking assistance for herself and her children. Due to transportation issues, she had to wait in our office for almost two hours more than her appointment called for.
In the lag time, the woman opened up about the difficult circumstances of her life. In response, I told her about Salvation Army Pathway of Hope. This mentoring program serves families with children by helping them to get out of poverty, and stay out.
The woman got so excited about Pathway of Hope that she signed up on the spot. “I am leaving today’s meeting a lot more hopeful than when I came!” she said excitedly.
The following week, the woman and I had our first Pathway of Hope meeting. She set a number of goals, including earning her GED, obtaining stable housing, and learning more about Jesus.
I am so excited help this woman start achieving.
Waitress keeps housing
This month I helped a single mother of four keep her housing.
The woman works as a waitress and depends on tips to keep her family afloat. Unfortunately, she’d fallen ill and had been forced to take an extended period of time off of work. Like many restaurant workers, she does not receive paid time off for vacation or illness.
By the time this woman could work again, she and her kids were almost out of food, and she could only afford to pay half of her rent.
Thankfully, The Salvation Army was able to give her groceries and pay the other half of her rent. Now she is back at work and back on track financially.
Due to her close call, she has opened a savings account and is intent on contributing to it regularly to create a safety net for herself and her kids.
Long winter took its toll
This was a crazy year for Salvation Army energy assistance programs. Due to the unusually long and cold winter, people without heat were calling us for help far into April. Many were seniors and disabled persons. None of them had anticipated that the cold and snow would have lasted so long. Some of their thermostats read 50 degrees.
Thankfully, The Salvation Army responded by releasing extra funding allowances for energy assistance. This helped many people keep their homes warm through the last few weeks of unexpected cold temperatures.
The people we helped were so appreciative. One gentleman told me, “You can’t believe how much stress you have lifted off my shoulders.”
His sentiments were repeated by many other people this spring.
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering or making a donation to support your local community.