Meeting Human Need in Clinton County

During a busy morning at the Clinton County Salvation Army food pantry almost a year ago, Edith Campbell heard the office phone ring and hurried to catch the call. On the other end of the line were Curt and Tina, a local couple looking for help from The Salvation Army in a time of great need.

Curt and Tina were in desperate need of food and water. They were living without running water or heat in their home, and their car had recently broken down. The couple lived thirty minutes from town, but their limited funds and resources meant that they had no way of getting food for themselves. Edith listened to their desperate story and knew that The Salvation Army could help. As the mission statement clearly states, The Salvation Army exists to “meet human needs in Jesus’ name without discrimination”, and that’s exactly what Edith sought to do every day.

As soon as Edith hung up with the couple she headed back to the food pantry she was running and began packing boxes of food and water. Once packed, she had one of her nine regular volunteers drive the supplies to Curt and Tina, who were beyond grateful. Since that day, Edith and her volunteers have been able to help this couple a few more times by providing them with food and water from the food pantry.

After a call this summer, though, Edith began to wonder how she could get food to Curt and Tina’s remote location this time. Edith was down to just four regular volunteers, but the food pantry was busier than ever, serving around 600 clients every month. Knowing how critical the situation was, Edith made it a priority to get another food box packed and delivered to the rural home.

“The need for food assistance does seem to be getting worse,” said Edith as she reflected on the growing need in Clinton County. She went on to explain that individuals are able to receive goods from the food panty every 30 days, but the need was so great that Edith was having a lot of clients come back to her earlier, hoping she could help in some way.

Because of this, she has made it a priority to pack food bags each day filled with a sandwich, made with bread generously donated by the Dollar Generals in town, and some water for individuals in need. These bags have been a lifesaver for many.

Edith and her volunteers work hard every day to fight the growing food insecurity in Clinton County. The need continues to grow, but with the support of the community The Salvation Army will continue to meet human need in every way possible.