Salvation army tranSformS liveS 365 dayS a year
The holidays are over and The Salvation Army’s donation kettles have been packed away for the season, but that doesn’t mean the organization’s work on behalf of people in need is done.
Despite this country’s wealth, one in 10 Canadians is living in poverty and struggles to get by. In 2016, more than 860,000 Canadians turned to food banks each month. More than one-third of those were children. Others needed clothing to help keep their children warm throughout the bitter winter months or toys to make Christmas seem less bleak. Others were fighting homelessness or despondency.
Thanks to the generosity of millions of Canadians, The Salvation Army was able to help over 1.9 million vulnerable people last year through its food banks and feeding programs, toy drives, school nutrition programs, clothing vouchers, and life-skills classes such budgeting and cooking for a family.
But the need for help doesn’t end because the year is through, and neither does the need for support.
Take Nicole M., a single mother of five. For Nicole, The Salvation Army is a lifeline.
Nicole found herself on the streets fending for herself at 13 years of age. She was determined to survive but by the time she reached 18 the struggle left her looking for the wrong way out. “Then I became pregnant and it inspired me to turn my life around,” she says. Nicole returned to school and worked two jobs to support a family that grew to include three children. She was moving forward with her life.
Nichole’s progress came to a halt with the birth of her daughter in 2013. She was born with a number of health issues that required surgery to overcome. “The school and medication challenges of one child on the autism spectrum, combined with the ill health of my new infant daughter, meant I had to quit both school and work to provide round-the-clock care,” she says.
Nicole turned to The Salvation Army for help. Her relationship with the organization began with a visit to the food bank to help feed her family. She was also able to obtain snow suits and Christmas gifts for her children. “I was so excited to find toys the children had told Santa were on their lists. These items were simply unattainable with my budget,” says Nicole. “Thanks to The Salvation Army and its donors, there were big smiles on Christmas morning.”
The Salvation Army can assist needy individuals and families in so many ways. Thanks to a pilot program called Pathway of Hope, for instance, Nicole is back on the road toward self-sufficiency. Introduced by the organization in early 2016, the program looks to address the root causes that hold people in poverty and helps them move forward with their lives, says Leigh Rowney, a community ministries and development coordinator for The Salvation Army.
Qualified participants are given personal support in establishing goals and the means to achieve them. For Nicole, that meant help in finding subsidized childcare spaces so she can pursue her goal of returning to university in 2017.
In return, Nicole is giving back to The Salvation Army. She helps unload and pack for the food bank each week, and over the holidays volunteered at kettle collection points and with the Christmas gift program. Ultimately, she would like to be in a position to sponsor a Salvation Army family, she says.
“I was a girl all alone for a very long time. The Salvation Army has given me hope and a sense of community after having none,” says Nicole. “They are also helping me to break the cycle of mistrust and misconception, and build a new cycle where my children and I have a healthy relationship with the church and the community.”
There are many others who could benefit from Pathway of Hope, says Rowney, which is why the organization would like to grow and further develop the program. “We need to expand the team so we have more people to work alongside our clients. The continued generosity of Canadians can help get us there and benefit individuals, families and communities for the longterm,” he says.
When you give to The Salvation Army, you’re investing in the lives of marginalized and vulnerable people in your community. Donate online at www.SalvationArmy.ca or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.