Donations in Action: Cereal, weeping, reunited
Many of the people The Salvation Army serves are in the middle of crazy circumstances. Their stories can be heartbreaking, uplifting and everything in between.
Here are some of those 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 these stories without using names.
If you’ve ever wondered how The Salvation Army uses your donations, here’s your answer:
Cereal without milk
One morning a student came to our food shelf asking for groceries. He explained that his mother asked him to stay home from school and make a trip to The Salvation Army so that his family could eat.
Sadly, the family had almost no food in their house. The young man told us, “The only thing I saw was cereal, but we have no milk.” We gave him as many groceries as he could carry home. He left happy and satisfied.
It is difficult to see how poverty can force children to lose out on the carefree days of their youth, but encouraging to know that The Salvation Army is able to provide relief.
Triple-whammy
In the space of just one month, a single mother experienced three devastating events: she lost her job, had a car accident, and her father passed away.
These events started a downward spiral that eventually led to her falling behind on her electric bill and receiving a shutoff notice. Until her crisis, she had never missed a payment.
Thankfully, we were able to help this mother pay her past-due bill. This gave her breathing room and hope for better days ahead.
Quiet weeping
A young homeless man often comes to our office to stay safe and warm. When he first started showing up, he would weep quietly and would not accept any comfort. We respectfully acknowledged him, yet allowed him to have his privacy.
After several days, he trusted us enough to open up. He explained that he was a veteran struggling with homelessness.
Although he is still not ready to work on housing solutions, he remains a regular visitor and appreciates our loving attention.
The man’s situation proves an important point: Sometimes, the mere presence of The Salvation Army is just as valuable as tangible items like food or clothing.
Reunited
A single mother came into our office after temporarily losing custody of her children. She had been making great strides toward improving her situation. She would be able to get her kids back if she could get stable housing.
The mother had found a suitable home, but was short on money for the damage deposit. We were able to step in and provide those funds.
It was gratifying to play a part in reuniting this family.
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering or making a donation to support your local community.