Salvation Army Day Shelter puts new programs into place

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - As the housing crisis continues to be an issue nationwide, one local organization is fighting to help others by providing more than just the day time to give back.

The Salvation Army Day Shelter will be putting new programs into place as a response to the increase of homelessness in the community

Wheeler: “Anytime you give somebody hope you’re changing their life. And that’s that’s what we hope to see here. You know, we expect that this community is going to be a better place because we’re helping people in a better place.”

The goal of the Salvation Army Day Shelter is to provide more services than usual and to be more of an outreach organization instead of simply waiting for people to come to them.

Valimont: “I am ready to put as much effort and as I can and as my staff can and to solving and reducing homelessness in this area. My desire is to see life change with our clients and the day shelter program for the longest time has really solved the need of those three basic needs of Food hygiene shelter, and we just know that we have to do more than that. Those are those basic needs that everyone needs that everyone needs safe sleep they need rest, but we also need to do more and we are going to do that. We’re going to add staff more staff here in the week more activities and a lot more collaboration.”

Starting June 1, the Salvation Army will add to its current service model by adding housing case management , collaborative care with outside agencies, recreational theraputic activities, and street outreach.

Wheeler: “And that that was really exciting to be able to share that with them the kind of emotion. They had when we visited with them about that. We were also able to give them vouchers. They could get winter clothes that was went and you know come in and we are about the transformation business. And in fact, sometimes I kind of think we should be more than the Salvation Army. We should be the transformation Army because we get to see that almost daily, you know with the folks were serving partially because we treat them like human beings, you know, that’s that’s a big step in the right direction.”

This advanced service model will promote the belief that everyone deserves housing.

VALIMONT “Life change. I believe that housing is a right for everyone. I believe that everyone is housing ready and I want to see that for our clients.”

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