‘Thank God for this help and for The Salvation Army’

No matter how hard James tried, he just could not catch a break. Life knocked him down at every turn. First, he lost work hours at two different jobs. From there, he became ill and missed two weeks of work. James, a single father, went from being financially secure to living paycheck to paycheck.

"This has been a hard year for my family," James said. "I have been trying to figure out how to keep a roof over our heads."

After months of taking one step forward and two steps back, James fell far behind on his rent and could not recover.

His pastor told him to contact The Salvation Army for help. James met with a case manager, who called his landlord to advocate for him. Next, his case manager secured rental assistance funds to get him caught up on rent.

"When James came to us, he had five days to pay his rent or he would be evicted," the case manager said. "Through the generosity of the community, we were able to pay a full month of rent and he and his children were able to stay in his home."

The Salvation Army's case manager was not finished helping James. She did an assessment of other programs to help James and his children. She helped him enroll his kids in The Salvation Army's local Boys & Girls Club, ensuring they would have help with their schoolwork while he was at work. She filled a box full of pantry staples – beans, rice, pasta, and cereal for the family – and told James to be sure and come back if he needs more.

In the span of just a few days, James went from feeling hopeless to feeling hopeful.

"Thank God for this help and for The Salvation Army," said James. "My kids and I are grateful to be able to stay in our home."