The Mankato Salvation Army saved my life
My name is Robert Anthony Foreman, but everyone calls me Tony. I would like to take a few minutes to tell you about myself, my life, and the impact The Salvation Army has had on me.
When I first came to Mankato from New York back in 1990 there were two things I didn’t have: God and The Salvation Army. I was a monster back then. I was on drugs, I was robbing people and I was in trouble. In December of that year I found myself homeless, lost and angry. I went to the Mankato Salvation Army Seasonal Men’s Shelter to get out of the cold. I didn’t know it then, but it would be a decision that would forever change my life.
When I stayed in the shelter I saw something I hadn’t seen in a long time – compassion. The Salvation Army helped me with clothes, food and gave me a place to sleep. They even helped me find side jobs so I could make a little money. Everyone was so nice to me; they didn’t judge me for what I had done and what I was still doing.
During that time of my life, I was in and out of jail and prison. But every time I came out, The Salvation Army was always there for me. They offered me programs and services, someone to talk to and a shoulder to lean on. They were the only ones who ever helped me, who were really there for me no matter what.
After being in and out of “street life” for a long time, I realized it just wasn’t worth it anymore. I was tired, I was sick, and sick and tired of being in and out of trouble. It took me almost dying over and over again to realize this.
On one hot day in summer 2011, I was walking with a friend when I suddenly collapsed on the street. My friend brought me to my home and to the people I knew I could count on – The Salvation Army. They helped me find a doctor so I could start taking better care of myself. I was homeless again at that time and needed to change that, and once again The Salvation Army helped me with housing. Only this time, it was permanent. That September, I moved into the Mankato Salvation Army’s supportive housing complex, called Maxfield Place.
Maxfield is … unexplainable. I can’t put into words how good I feel living there. It is structured, safe and feels like home. We watch wrestling every week, cook meals and work on side jobs together. We laugh, we talk and we have fun. We’re a family. No words can express the bond we have.
The Salvation Army taught me how to create boundaries. They taught me how to show “tough love.” These lessons helped me decide who was good for me and who wasn’t. Even though it was tough cutting certain ties, I wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t learned how to create boundaries.
Looking back, the Mankato Salvation Army has helped me in every single way you can be helped. The shelter got me out of the cold, the lunch program kept me fed and the social services programs fulfilled all my other needs. And Maxfield Place gave me a place to call home. They helped me find work, create stability and have healthy relationships with people.
The most important relationship they helped me with was with God. I now have a relationship with God, which is something I didn’t have when I first came here. Now I feel connected and close with God. I go to church every Sunday and feel so blessed to have asked God to be a part of my life.
Because of everything The Salvation Army has done for me, I feel strongly about giving back to them. I always tell people if I’m not at Maxfield Place, I’m down at “The Sally” helping everyone. I love giving back to them. They’re the reason I’m alive.
If it wasn’t for The Salvation Army, I wouldn’t feel the way I do today. I feel great. I’m clean, I’ve got my health back, I have a relationship with God and I have good people in my life. I have everything I could have ever dreamed of. The streets once controlled me and I should be dead. But I’m still here today for one reason…
The Salvation Army saved my life.