Man living in garage finds help at The Salvation Army
Written by Jeffrey DeMars, Divisional Media Relations Director for The Salvation Army Northern Division
For most of us, life moves along rather smoothly and while there may be a hiccup or two, we deal with it and barely miss a beat.
But it’s those major bumps in the road like a lost job, medical diagnosis, divorce or relationship break up that can quickly derail our lives and throw people into crisis. To those who have suffered and survived, it’s no secret how their lives can drastically change. Fortunately, there is help during those critical times in our lives.
The Salvation Army specializes in the recovery from financial pitfalls and times of hopelessness.
When Hibbing’s James Jordan, 38, found himself living in a garage after a relationship of 14 years ended, he turned to The Salvation Army for help.
Jordan said when he was a child and times were tough for his family they occasionally would use the food shelf. When he recently found himself struggling, he returned to the food shelf, but this time even more help was available.
Not only did he receive bags full of groceries, but he found out that he qualified for assistance to help him find a new home. Since the breakup Jordan had been living in a garage and with winter around the corner, he needed a more permanent place to stay, but he didn’t have all of the money he would need to make that happen. In between jobs and low on cash, he needed help paying for a deposit to secure a new place to live. The Salvation Army helped him with the deposit on an apartment in town that he can afford on his own.
“I do plan on paying them back of course, otherwise I will have guilt forever,” said Jordan. “I’m just waiting for a background check to be complete and I’ll have a new job and start making payments.”
The Salvation Army never expects the people we serve to pay us back–but the only way the Army is able to assist people like Jordan is thanks to your donations, grants, and relationships we have with area groups and businesses, like The Cliffs Foundation. The Salvation Army’s partnerships collectively help give people like Jordan a leg up to get them back on their feet again.
“I appreciate the help,” explained Jordan. “I’m very appreciative.”
A little bit of assistance today, to make sure he will have a roof over his head tomorrow – and in the days to come.
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering or making a donation to support your local community today.