Stories of resilience and why we serve
May 22, 2015
Put on your reading slippers and get comfy. Below are eight stories you are sure to enjoy. They are taken from the 2015 edition of Scope magazine, an annual publication of the Twin Cities Salvation Army.
Start by reading “A Night at ‘The Light.’” The story provides an unvarnished look inside the state’s largest homeless outreach facility – The Salvation Army Harbor Light Shelter in Minneapolis. Read it, and your thoughts on homelessness will change.
Move on to “Addicted … until God spoke” and learn how the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center in Minneapolis helped a meth addict go from living in his car to living out his dream.
In “Built to last,” you’ll rewind 150 years and find out how The Salvation Army got its name, where it began, and who started it.
All of the stories below offer unique examples of how your donations and volunteer efforts make a difference. Click the links to read each inspirational story.
A night at “The Light”
The Salvation Army Harbor Light Shelter in downtown Minneapolis houses about 500 people every night. Alas, that’s the easy way of saying it. In reality, providing shelter to hundreds of people experiencing homelessness is much more difficult. Some have mental health issues. Others are drug addicts, or alcoholics, or both. Some are veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Still others are stable, everyday people who can’t catch a break.
Built to last: Celebrating 150 years
It began 150 years ago. A 36-year-old Methodist minister named William Booth and his wife, Catherine, began reaching out to drunkards, prostitutes and thieves in the slums of London, England. The Booths offered food, shelter, clothing, and the message of Christ. Thirteen years later, in 1878, The Salvation Army brand was born while William Booth was proofing a copy of his ministry’s annual report.
Prison ministry: Where victories outweigh defeats
Most inmates really do want to change. Problem is, after they’re released, the two things they need most are the two things hardest to obtain: a job and a decent place to live. “To survive, they’re almost forced to revert to the things that got them incarcerated in the first place,” said Chaplain Charles Berry (pictured), a Salvation Army prison minister in Minnesota.
Hmong youth program: Feels like teen spirit
At just 15 years old, Ma Lee Xiong knows more about being a mother than being a kid. When not in school, the St. Paul teenager helps clean her family’s house and cook for her nine siblings, ages 1 to 13. Her mom works full-time during the day. Her dad left the family years ago. “It’s hard being oldest – nonstop responsibility,” Xiong admitted.
Volunteer goes from wallflower to powerhouse
Three years ago, Ted Guzman spent almost every weekday inside the lobby of the West 7th Salvation Army in St. Paul, reading books for hours at a time. Hundreds of people walked by him, yet he rarely spoke with anybody. Once he finished reading, he’d walk back to his home two blocks away, fix himself some food, and spend time with his three cats. After the day ended, he’d wake up the next morning and do it all over again, completely alone.
Addicted … until God spoke
Justin Keene’s legs were on fire. He’d been running from police for miles, bolting through neighborhoods and wooded areas of the northern Twin Cities suburbs. He heard a helicopter searching from above, and the sound of barking dogs hot on his trail. “I was getting bloody from running through the woods,” Keene recalled.
Retired school teacher offers fresh perspective
Most Salvation Army supporters like to know how we use their donations to do the most good. We show them by posting inspiring stories from all sorts of perspectives, including those of our volunteers, the people we serve, and our own. Enter Kris Halverson, who recently contacted us to offer a fresh perspective we’d never even thought of.
Parents offer blueprint for passing down philanthropic vision
Parents who give to charity naturally want their children to become givers, too. But passing down a philanthropic vision isn’t as simple as passing down a pocket watch or wedding dress. Philanthropy is much more complicated because it’s an intangible. So how can parents sew roots of philanthropy into their children that grow into a lifelong commitment to giving?.
