Submitted by Stacey Underwood, Director of the Orrville Salvation Army Service Center
" One of the very first clients who walked in our door last Christmas season had never been to us before or used any services in the county like ours. I talked with her about different programs we offer and what other agencies offer. Her husband had left her with three small children and no means of providing for herself or her children. She had always looked to her spouse to provide for his family, and now was left with all the challenges a single mother has to face.
She couldn't believe she had lived here in Orrville all her life and never knew what the Salvation Army actually does in the community, aside from the bell ringing at Christmas.
She signed up for the Adopt A Family Program and the Christmas food box assistance, and thanked us over and over again. Those two programs provided Christmas gifts and food for her and her children. She was extremely grateful for our help.
I sopke with her when she picked up her food, and she hugged me, crying, and thanking us for all we'd done for her and her children. I also shared information about all the different job postings I had received at the office, and told her to stop by if whe was interested. She did. I also gave her information about the Orrville Area Boys & Girls Club, for programs for her children.
I happened to run into her a few months later in a store. She had secured a job, and was making ends meet for her family. She thanked me again for assisting her at such a bad time in her life, and was very thankful there was an agency to help her in her time of need. She also said she hoped she could repay us someday."
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