Diondra began to wonder about what her academics this would mean for her future. Like so many in her situation, she worried about her prospects for attending college and finding employment. Determined…

When she was just fifteen, Terri escaped from a violently abusive household. Because of her pain and trauma, she became addicted to drugs and found herself living in her car in an abandoned lot when an…

“At age ten, I was an alcoholic. When I was fifteen I got alcohol poisoning and that’s when I started using drugs. It went for years with the drug abuse and it scaled from marijuana to various narcotics.…

“When I got to The Salvation Army, I was broken.” As she recalls a more difficult time, Anita’s face shows that she is experiencing a whirlwind of emotion. “I was broken spiritually, emotionally, financially,…

Marvin knows that he was not the sort of person that could be trusted. He had an incredibly dark past. For 30 years he was a drug dealer, an addict and worse. He would stay high for days at a time and…

Now a medical doctor with a successful practice, David doesn’t actually remember the first time The Salvation Army impacted his life and the lives of his three older brothers. His mother recalls that when…

For most of his life, Jim just wanted to make a difference in the world. As a child, Jim’s parents took time to explain how giving to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettles meant that people who needed help…

Like most parents, April’s one wish for the holidays was to be able to provide for her children – warm food on the table and a few presents under the tree. Many of us take this for granted. Finding herself…

At eight years of age, Dontae and his mother were homeless and living at a local shelter. Despite their circumstances, Dontae’s mother tried to remain positive and do what she could to help her son excel.…

Most high school students aren't thinking about how they can make an impact on the world. There are a lot of other things that compete for their attention. For high school senior Naomi, however, having…

For most of her career, Melani appeared to be the consummate professional. She was well educated, well respected, and had completed nearly 25 years of state employment. Despite the appearance of stability,…

As a child, Micah’s mother worked tirelessly to provide for her four sons and to raise them right. Micah knew this and loved his mother immensely. When he began to experience abuse by a member of the family,…

Though Janet volunteered with The Salvation Army for years, the tables were turned when she faced the challenges of unexpected and overwhelming medical bills. She wondered if The Salvation Army could be…

The notion of childhood has changed greatly over the past number of years. In the past, children would spend hours outside after school, exploring, learning, and building friendships. Today, it seems that…

Growing up, Mike describes his childhood as “rather sheltered.” He spent a lot of time at church, playing games with friends after school and reading at home. His passion for books led Mike to aspire to…