From Crisis to Community
When Chandra arrived at the Ken Carlson Red Shield Youth Center (formerly the Boys and Girls Club), she carried the weight of heartbreak, uncertainty, and hope.
Just a month and a half earlier, the unthinkable happened: her granddaughter’s mother was critically injured in a drive-by shooting, leaving Chandra to step in and raise her granddaughter on her own. “She was shot in the stomach, and her wound stayed open for about three weeks,” Chandra recalled. “There were surgeries, and doctors weren’t sure she’d make it. But through prayer and a lot of faith, she pulled through.”
In the midst of that trauma, Chandra found a lifeline in The Salvation Army.
“I have to say, the people here [at the Red Shield Youth Center] are just really, really nice,” she said. “They’re loving. Whatever we’re going through, they’re right there.” Chandra speaks with particular appreciation for the staff who offer consistent kindness, like the front desk team who ensure her daughter is ready each day when she comes to pick her up after work. “Those little things make a big difference. They show me we’re not alone.”
For Chandra’s granddaughter, the change has been life-altering. “Where she came from, she couldn’t even go outside to play,” Chandra said. “Now, she comes home every day talking about a new friend. She loves the instructors, she loves being here—it’s given her a sense of joy and safety I hadn’t seen before.”
Reflecting on the journey, Chandra’s voice is filled with gratitude. “I don’t think they even realize how much they’ve helped us. But they’ve changed our world.”
In every way, Chandra and her granddaughter’s story is a reminder of what compassion, community, and care can do for families in crisis. Because of supporters like you, stories like theirs are possible.