Warmth to Survive the Winter
When Mark reached out to The Salvation Army Joliet Corps Community Center this past December, he had less than 5% of his home’s propane tank left – only enough for two or three days of heat and hot water.
His household – which includes his girlfriend, son, two daughters, and two friends – had been conserving electricity for weeks, using heaters they’d borrowed from friends to keep the house warm from the frigid winter temperatures.
Mark had always been able to provide a comfortable home for his family – until COVID-19 changed everything. Mark’s landscape company and car lot both suffered during the lockdown months in 2020. “We lost a lot of business,” he said. “Everyone was tapped out.”
The friends staying with the family suggested they seek help from The Salvation Army. The Joliet corps got their bill paid and the next day got their propane tank filled to keep them warm throughout the winter.
“When the couple came to us, she was in tears, saying they’d been to many other agencies and nobody had been able to help them,” said Envoy Scott Hurula from the Joliet corps. “I told them they’d come to the right place.” In addition to the financial assistance the corps provided, he prayed for the couple to experience hope and peace in these tough times and to see them through the winter.
“That help meant the world to me. It meant we made it through one more step of winter and COVID,” Mark said, adding that he doesn’t know what the family would have done without the Army’s assistance.
Thankfully, the big snows in February brought a lot of snow removal work for Mark. Business is slowly picking up again and the intense cold snap has passed. “Things are looking up,” he said. And when things do get better, Mark says he’ll remember the help they received from The Salvation Army. “If I can help them in the future, I certainly will.”