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Despite serving the
Greater Houston region for over 120 years now, for many people
the thought of The Salvation Army simply evokes one thought –
bell ringers and kettles outside of area stores asking for money
during the Christmas holiday season. While that is an image the
nonprofit organization is very proud of, clients of The
Salvation Army Greater Houston Area Command know the agency
represents much more than that.
Among the services provided by The
Salvation Army to residents of Fort Bend, Harris and Montgomery
counties are programs that assist children and seniors. They
shelter those in need of support, provide
working-poor families with
emergency rent and utility bill payments,
and help
the addicted break free
from their dependence on alcohol and drugs; while at the same
time standing ready to respond in case of any emergencies or
natural disasters.
We spoke to a few of the
organization’s clients and here’s what they had to share:
Women like Melissa Hartley, who
struggled to make ends meet and provide her children with food
and shelter knows she would not be where she is today were it
not for The Salvation Army.
After arriving in Houston, she
recalls having nowhere to turn and making the call to the Army’s
shelter for women with families. She was accepted at Family
Residence and after spending just a few months at that facility
she realized that The Salvation Army isn’t just here to assist
those in need, but to provide a sense of living by instilling in
them hope and desire to once again rebuild their lives.
“If I hadn't been there, I would
have been back in my abusive relationship, and I wouldn't be
where I am today,” she said in hindsight. “Being around all the
other women, we bonded - it was kind of a support system. I
don’t regret being there. It’s a hard situation to not have
family around, but they help motivate you. They are there to
help when you are down!”
Robert Laverne is another one of
the success stories. After living a life of recognition as an
outstanding athlete and achieving greatness in the gridiron, he
fell in the deepest hole of his life. Drugs led him to lose his
thriving athletic career, home, but above all his family. It
wasn’t until he found Christ through The Salvation Army that he
realized he needed to change his lifestyle.
"I
went to chapel service and gave my life to Christ, and after
that my life really changed. Going to chapel service twice a
day helped me find a new identity...When I completed the program
they offered me a job,” says Laverne. “I've been working with
The Salvation Army for seven years now. It’s my life! The
Salvation Army has changed my life. They're my world right now.
I’ve been engrafted into that sense of helping people.”
Prior to arriving at The Salvation
Army’s Harbor Light Center, Laverne lived out of his car,
driving drug dealers around in exchange for narcotics. Today,
he is an ordained minister and a mentor to the new clients of
The Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center, where he works.
This shelter for adult males is one
of two such facilities in the Greater Houston region operated by
The Salvation Army of Greater Houston. In order to be accepted
into the rehabilitation program, individuals need only sign up –
without paying a dime – and have the motivation to kick their
addictions.
Hartley, who had her
now-15-year-old-daughter at The Salvation Army’s shelter for
women with children (Family Residence), in 1994, after fleeing
from an abusive relationship, is now employed in the
petrochemical industry and is one of Family Residence’s
strongest supporters.
Aside from housing and
rehabilitation, The Salvation Army also offers youth and senior
programs, financial assistance, spiritual counseling, Christmas
assistance, and a host of other services – all at no cost to the
community. This is made possible by the generosity of strangers
and past clients who believe in the mission of the organization
and who support it through monetary donations.
In return, The Salvation Army of
Greater Houston utilizes 88.4 cents of every dollar donated in
direct services to the less fortunate in our community. On any
given night, every single day of the year, some 800 homeless
people find a place to sleep at one of The Salvation Army’s
facilities. During its Hurricane Ike disaster relief efforts,
The Salvation Army served some 5 million individuals throughout
the Southeast Texas region.
Unfortunately, monetary donations
are simply not coming in like they use to. Due to a troubling
economy and Hurricane Ike’s after effects on the Gulf Coast
region, Christmas donations through the mail campaign, this
year, are down 20 percent, in comparison to the same timeframe
last year. Red kettle campaign donations are down by 3
percent.
“We are optimistic that in spite of
the tough economic times, Houstonians will take notice of how
The Salvation Army positively impacts the community through its
faith, programs and services,” says Area Commander, Major Chris
Flanagan. “We believe they will continue to provide financial
assistance for us to serve those who otherwise wouldn’t have
anyone else’s help, but above all, we will all make a difference
and change one life at a time.” |
