How God Is Showing Up as We Cope with the Coronavirus
As our corps community centers throughout the Metropolitan Division – serving greater Chicagoland, northern Illinois, and northwest Indiana – meet pressing and ever-increasing needs for food and financial assistance, they are seeing God provide in some inspiring ways. When you support The Salvation Army, this is the kind of hope and help you provide.
Doing His Part
Thank you for what you do for our community! We are blessed to know that in times of need you are there. Besides the physical things you do for all, most importantly is the spiritual need you deliver – faith, hope, and love. God bless you all!
In and during these trying times, we should all do what we can to help one another. I am retired and physically not as spry as I was at one time. But I still want to help! Do what I can do. So, enclosed is a check for half of my monthly food budget. I am hoping and praying it can feed a few people or help them along. Thank you again for every and all things you do. God bless you all, and thank you God for The Salvation Army.
-Dale, a Salvation Army friend in Belvidere
Provision of Biblical Proportion
Bread! Donation of 8,141 loaves. Tomorrow another 4,000 will arrive again! The other day I posted a biblical passage about multiplication of loaves and fishes and we received so much bread! Today I’ll mention granola bars, peanut butter, and jelly. Oh, and soup. Perhaps a truck will arrive in the A.M.
Front row seat to Miraculous Provision!
-Captain Rich Forney, usually at the Aurora Corps Community Center but currently serving on The Salvation Army’s emergency team for coronavirus response
Baked with Love
I have been inspired today! Several women in our ministry have made boxes and boxes of homemade cookies, muffins, brownies, Rice Krispy treats, and such for the homeless in our shelter. The people are here all day because of the shelter-in-place laws and they have to be socially distant from each other. There is anxiety and fear in being homeless during this time.
I wish everyone could have seen the faces when I walked in with platters of cookies and treats for them! Several actually cried to learn that these were not leftovers, but made just for them by people who care about them. The treats were fabulous, but the love represented touched down deep! Thank you to everyone who participated!
-a Salvation Army staff member caring for homeless individuals at an undisclosed location
Helping Out an Old Friend
I was on Facebook the other day and noticed others were volunteering at The Salvation Army food pantry. I wanted to get my family involved as well. I reached out to Erin to see if my family and I could volunteer our time. Erin emailed me back saying sure come on in. My family and I felt we needed to give back to our community in this time of crisis.
My family and I were able to volunteer three hours of our time last week at The Salvation Army. We bagged up groceries, boxed food, and replenished the shelves in the food pantry for families in DeKalb County.
It brought back so many memories being at The Salvation Army. As a child I attended church at The Salvation Army. I was a corps cadet and taught Sunday school as well. So many good memories had. One particular memory I have is being in 7th grade and going to another Salvation Army in Chicago to be with another youth group. That particular day I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. It is a feeling I will never forget – pure joy.
I still have God in my life and try to live the best life he has given me with him walking along my side. I look forward to helping out when I can at The Salvation Army.
-Dori De La Cruz, volunteer at the DeKalb Corps Community Center
Offering Faith in the Face of Fear
During this time of crisis, The Salvation Army of Joliet is out serving our community. On Monday, we served 115 families through our mobile food pantry. Throughout the week we are delivering food boxes to the homes of the elderly and disabled, bringing food to those who are homeless on the streets or living in their car, and giving food to those who come to our door.
This week I prayed with a neighbor across the street who came to get food for his family. His wife died of cancer in October and his son recently passed away from a work accident. There was so much sadness in his face. But after we prayed, he walked away smiling. Because we are serving others right now, we have been able to provide hope for families who live in fear.
-Captain Wendy Faundez, Joliet Corps Community Center
Creative Connections
With everything going on, kids are affected in unique ways. One of our community kids is turning 13 and has been upset that she won't be able to celebrate. Gary-Merrillville Salvation Army staff will be delivering balloons, cupcakes, and a small gift to brighten her day.
A woman recently diagnosed with COVID-19 called in tears because she has to be quarantined and off of work for at least two weeks. Because of this, resources are running out. We were able to deliver food, hygiene kits, and assist with Nipsco (a local gas company).
We have also partnered with the Merrillville School Corporation to deliver meals to families who are not able to pick up the food.
We are providing hygiene kits and food boxes through a drive-thru system to at least 30 families representing 150 people total each day. Yesterday we served 41 households, 162 people total, 81 food bags, and 70 hygiene kits.
Even though we aren’t able to meet in person for the feast on Tuesday nights, we are still connecting with people. I have written eight weeks of Bible study material and the men at the Adult Resources Center (ARC) are meeting together to go through that every Tuesday night. I am doing a virtual Bible study on Tuesday nights for anyone in the community who wants to join as well.
Truly, we are so blessed to do ministry in Gary. Every day we are connecting with people, whether that’s through the drive-through food/hygiene kit distribution or praying with people over the phone or connecting virtually with people for spiritual guidance and encouragement. And God has been so faithful. We’ve been running out of food every day and a half, but we keep making connections, and God keeps providing. Today we had racks of ribs and pork tenderloin donated!
-Captain Amanda Keene, Gary-Merrillville Corps Community Center
Help The Salvation Army Do the Most Good
Donate to Our COVID-19 Response Fundraise for Good
For tax purposes: The Salvation Army Metropolitan Division EIN is 36-2167910.