Homeless man who appeared from woods finds stability

Today a homeless man walked into The Salvation Army’s satellite office in Burnsville. He’d been living in some woods near our office. We gave him food, a sleeping bag and a pillow. He shared with me that he once had a nice lifestyle, but it all fell apart after he hurt his shoulder – which required four surgeries and likely will require another.

The man’s doctor had written a letter stating he cannot work. I told the man to stop by again the next morning, and he arrived right at 7:45 a.m. After finding out more about his situation, I realized he would probably qualify for a Social Security program. If all goes well, he should be able to move into his own apartment and stabilize his life. The man was grateful for our services and anxious to move forward.

A woman came into the North Minneapolis Salvation Army in need of emotional support. After I asked how she was doing, she responded tearily, “Not very good today.” It was the birthday of her youngest daughter, Angela, who had died recently.

The woman said she would love to celebrate her daughter’s birthday by eating angel food cake. I walked into our food shelf and discovered that we happened to have some. After I gave her the cake, she asked for prayer. I took her to our prayer room and prayed with her. After we finished, she looked me in the eye and said the prayer was better than food. Then she got up, gave me a hug and whispered, “God bless you.”

People appreciate that the Central Ave. Salvation Army in Minneapolis is always here for them, no matter what.

So it went last week when a man came in requesting food shelf assistance. He used to visit fairly often, but we hadn’t seen him in a long time because he found work and no longer needed the help.

He said everything was going great until his wife got sick. She’d been diagnosed with breast cancer, and his insurance didn’t cover all the medical expenses. He’d become broke.

I could tell it was hard for him to admit that he and his family were struggling to make ends meet. But he was very happy and appreciative for the services and resources we gave him. Before he left, he thanked me many times and he blessed The Salvation Army for being there every time he needed help.