Pathway to Hope
Greetings-
The Salvation Army understands that life can be a struggle and sometimes the path that we are on can turn rocky and hard to navigate. That’s why we created a service called Pathway of Hope, and today I want to highlight this little-known initiative that is making a big difference.
Sometimes life hits us with seemingly random events and setbacks that can throw us off course or worse, put us in a desperate situation. All too often, a crisis can start with an illness or getting behind on the bills.
Sadly, most of the working population in America are a couple paychecks away from disaster. According to the US News financial wellness survey, 43% of Americans don’t have enough savings to cover an unexpected $1000 expense, and nearly one-third do not have enough savings to last one month.
This situation is even more critical for the working poor. So when these unexpected events happen, people turn to The Salvation Army for help.
Pathway of Hope was created in 2011 to help our neighbors overcome the stumbling blocks of life. Unemployment, unstable housing, and a lack of education are common elements contributing to a cycle of poverty and crisis. Pathway offers one-on-one counseling and training that brings in needed structure: we teach budgeting, paying bills, planning and working through problems one by one. Our case managers identify Salvation Army participants who could benefit from more structure. Last year we worked with over one-hundred families, or over three-hundred and sixty people. With a 90% success rate, this program is a long-term commitment to people who are ready to break the cycle of poverty.
People like Shiloh. She had a very rough start to life with a schizophrenic father and alcoholic mother, living out of their car from the age of two to eleven. Eventually her mother remarried and abandoned Shiloh and her brother in an apartment. That’s when she became addicted to Meth. Shiloh never went to school until she received a lengthy prison sentence at age 15.
(Watch the full length film here).
Even after getting out of prison and with several relapses, she continued to return to The Salvation Army for help. The Pathway of Hope case manager in Wichita never turned her back on her. After many fits and starts, Shiloh has a new life, is drug free with a house, driver’s license and stability. She’s now on the path to becoming a counselor for other people suffering from addiction.
In the bible, Psalms 119 verse 105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (NIV)
No matter how many times people fall down, The Salvation Army is here to help them up and to start out on the path again. We believe that showing the love of Christ in this way is part of our mission to meet human needs without discrimination.
In addition to providing food and short term help, this is the type of work that The Salvation Army does every day. But we could do a lot more with your support. If you know someone who needs our help or if you are moved to donate, please visit our website at: SalArmyMoKan.org. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Major Caleb Senn
Divisional Commander
The Salvation Army of Kansas and Western Missouri