Stories of Transformation
Damien's Story
“Being young and immature, and not so much connected, I would think ‘Oh my purpose in life is to play music, or to be famous, or to make money.’ But God broke all those things down and showed me what my…
Traci's Story
The only thing that Traci knew for sure was that she had to leave. There were no other options. She quickly packed up her belongings, got in her car, and drove away, leaving behind her home, her dogs,…
Sheryl's Story
I moved into the Salvation Army's Night Shelter called the Center of Hope in November. Having been in North Carolina for two months (I’m originally from Philadelphia, PA) before this time, everything was…
Mary's Story
Mary was a young wife and mother who was married to her best friend. They first met when they were just five years old. After he finished school, he enlisted and joined the Marine Corps. His decision to…
Maria's Story
Parents want nothing more than to provide for their children. Caring for a child often means sacrifice – giving up your own comfort to make sure that your child has everything they need. For Maria, this…
Blossom's Story
When she and her son were endangered in a relationship, Blossom fled across the country. With a new sense of safety and security, Blossom, once a victim of human trafficking, was able to work with her…
Patricia's Story
Patricia had just settled in for the night when it began to rain outside. She didn’t follow the news and wasn’t aware that Hurricane Joaquin was threatening the entire southeast coast. Within 24 hours,…
Diondra's Story
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…
Terri's Story
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…
Karl's Story
"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 cocaine and to different…
Anita's Story
“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's Story
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…
David's Story
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…
Jim's Story
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…
April's Story
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…
Dontae's Story
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.…
Naomi Makes a Difference
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…
Melani's Story
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,…
Micah's Story
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,…
Janet's Story
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…
Oscar's Story
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…
Mike's Story
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…
Jenny's Story
Jenny is ambitious for a 21 year-old. She had mapped out her life by the time she was 19 and moved to the community from her small town in Virginia to enroll in college. Her dream was to work for a nonprofit,…
Keyvon's Story
Keyvon is a fun-loving eleven year old jokester who loves to make people smile. Unlike most children his age, he likes to keep everything neat and tidy. He even maintains a to-do list for all of the things…
Naomi: The Impact of Camp Walter Johnson
The summer of 2008 was the first in twelve years that I would not be spending at a camp. As a high school student, I began working at camps in British Columbia until I finally found my way south to Camp…