SUCCESS STORIES
"It all started when our pipes froze and I couldn’t reach our landlord. I called the Health Department for help . . . and was stunned when they condemned our house. My family and I had 24 hours to find a new place to live. My husband Mike and I didn’t know what to do. We couldn’t afford a motel or the security deposit on another home — even if we could have found a place that fast, which we couldn’t. We both worked, and I was attending college to become a medical assistant. Things were pretty tight for us. Some months, we barely managed to squeeze by . . . but we still managed to support our children on our own. Now, for the first time, we were forced to ask for help.
The Salvation Army helped my family find a safe place to stay so my husband and I could continue working until we found a permanent home. Our kids were able to stay in their same school, too, which made this situation easier for us to deal with." --Lori
“I feel like I am a part of a family here and everyone treats everyone the same. Sometimes people like to treat people different and then you try to run from your problems and end up here. [Booth Brown House] is a good place to think over your actions and plan ahead for what you’re going to do when you get out. I think when I get out I’m going to be a part of my family and participate around the house. I think this place has really helped me, because everyone is so friendly around here and it’s a very good atmosphere for people to be in. I hope other people see this place like I do because I feel that this place may have changed the way I see my life.” --Teen Resident at Booth Brown House Shelter
“I believe I started out life with an advantage because I was born at The Salvation Army [hospital]. I don’t know what my mother would have done without their help and support; they speak with action as well as words. There never will be and never can be a greater army than The Salvation Army.” -- James Horton, Vietnam veteran
“Because of The Salvation Army I have been out of prison for seven months and I have a home, an income, a job, I have my son and I’m starting school. And I’ve learned so much. The people at The Salvation Army taught me how to say, ‘I can’t do this, help me,’ and the caring people here will help you.” --Susan
“The Salvation Army helped me pay my outstanding bills and save up money to apply for a house. I saved up for two years and now I have a home. The first time I cut the grass I’m sure my neighbors thought I was crazy– there I was in my best clothes mowing the lawn with tears running down my face.” -- Calvin
“You can’t generalize about homelessness—it’s so individual and it’s a very, very complex issue. Some people don’t want help, and they’ll die homeless; others have addictions, mental health issues; some people just made bad choices and they can’t get out from under them. I’m learning that mostly, the people I work with are the same as us, they just don’t have money. No matter where you go, the condition of the human heart is the same—everyone just wants to laugh and have something to cry about.” -- Salvation Army Caseworker Heidi Batten
“I enjoy volunteering for The Salvation Army. It’s rewarding working with so many other people and meeting other volunteers. I also like that The Salvation Army’s administration costs are so low and that they’re always there when people need them.” -- Salvation Army Volunteer Leon Godeke
