A True Survivor

My name is Donna*. My life has been saved! This is a literal statement because the abuse from my husband had progressed to the point where he was going to kill me. And even worse than that he would have done so in front of my three children. He had never abused the children before, but the signs were all present and I knew it was just a matter of time before he started on them too.

People say, “Leave him! Go!” But where do you go? There was nowhere in the area to go, no shelters. How are you supposed to get out safely? And if you have children it becomes even more complicated. You leave on the spur of the moment whenever the opportunity becomes available to you.

Then you find out all of the shelters are full, no rooms available. I left home in the middle of the night with my three children with very few personal belongings. Who was there for us? The Salvation Army was there. They had a room for us. In the middle of the night at 11:00pm they were there. My kids and I were finally safe. They first provided us with food, clothing, personal hygene items. After that they provided us with spiritual encouragement and hope. We stayed at The Salvation Army for several months until I was able to save up money for a safe apartment away from my abusive husband.

Currently I am still not at a place where I can give back, but when I am I will give generously so that The Salvation Army can be there for someone else in need. Thank you and God Bless.

Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the client.  Donna* is currently enrolled in our Continuing Support Program and she continues contact with her case manager once a week.

Ladies Striving for Success: Women from Homeless Shelter Receive a Fresh New Look

“Who are you? Why are you here? And now what shall you wear?” These are questions we all have pondered. And when it comes to the part about what to wear, it is particularly important to the ladies. While our outward appearance does not define who we are or influence our God-given purpose, treating ourselves to a fresh, new outfit can go a long way in bringing out the inward beauty. This beauty can get buried and lost under our struggles.

As a busy mother who put her children before herself for many years before realizing her need to replenish, Catrina Brown felt the need to offer a special evening of pampering to the ladies who live at The Salvation Army’s Women and Children’s Shelter in downtown Indianapolis. Many have ended up there as a result of domestic abuse and negligence, having nowhere else to turn and leaving their old lives behind. Some come to the shelter with a few belongings in trash bags, stripped of joy and hope.

For these ladies, Catrina envisioned an evening of dinner, motivational speakers and a fashion makeover. Clothing, jewelry, nail polish and shoes were collected along with a group of fellow Salvation Army employees who were delighted to help organize and serve at the event. To make it even more special, the makeover was kept secret.

As the speakers gave testimonies of victories over tragic situations, the room resounded with many amens and hallelujahs. It was much needed encouragement for these ladies as they begin their process of healing and renewal. Just as the butterfly sheds its old skin and is a new creation, it was then revealed to the ladies that they would be stepping behind the curtain to shop for a new outfit, complete with shoes and accessories. Judging by the smiles and squeals, it truly was a night of success for these ladies and one that will hopefully be a step towards a brighter future.

Francine

Francine* came to The Salvation Army Shelter for Women and Children right before Christmas of 2009. She had lost her job in May and her apartment in June and had been living with her daughter. From the first time we met, I (her case manager) knew she would succeed because she is so motivated. She had been constantly putting in job applications and going on interviews for two and a half months without getting anywhere. However, Francine never gave up! She stayed involved in Dress for Success’ Women’s Group and consistently worked out at the YMCA, both partnering agencies of The Salvation Army.

In February she found a job at a daycare supervising infant care. Francine found an apartment in March and moved into her own apartment with rental assistance from The Salvation Army. She was enrolled in our Continuing Support Program and had been doing great.

Now she is doing even better than before! She was contacted for a new job for customer service in the insurance industry. She works with the State of Indiana answering questions about the variety of health insurance plans and now is a great resource for me when my clients have questions. I am so proud of her and look forward to working with her in the future. Francine is truly a success story!

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the clients

It’s National Salvation Army Week!

We’ve got some great events planned to help get Indy involved in “doing the most good”. We’ll be out and about this week and we hope you’ll join us:

Monday, May 10 – Dine to Donate at BD’s Mongolian Grill (3838 E. 82nd Street, Castleton) $15 for all-you-can-eat stir-fry, soup and salad. Click here for more info.

Tuesday, May 11 – WWI Salvation Army Doughnut Girls exhibit dedication, Indiana War Memorial (431 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis)

Thursday, May 13 – Dine to Donate at Max & Erma’s (5899 E. 86th Street, Castleton) 4-10pm. 20% of dine-in and carry out proceeds will benefit The Salvation Army. Don’t forget to take the flyer with you (we only get credit for your meal if you present the flyer).

Friday, May 14 – Eat Outside the Box (Veteran’s Memorial Plaza, 550 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis) 10am-2pm. Just $5 for a hot dog or hamburger, chips and a drink! [Thanks to our partners for donating lunch: All-American Picnic Company for the 'dogs and burgers, GFS for the chips, Noodles and Company for the water and Ricker's for the soft drinks] Come enjoy lunch and throw a game of cornhole for a great cause – helping Indy’s homeless and abused moms and kids.

We hope to see you there!

Second Start

Susie* came into shelter seeking safety after fleeing from a violent relationship.  This was not her first experience being in a violent relationship.  She had been married for 16 years to her husband before finally escaping.  She had never lived on her own before and coincidentally was scared and depressed when she arrived.  She wasn’t able to talk without crying.  Although she had worked several jobs before, she had always depended on a man to take care of her.  Before coming to The Salvation Army she had started school.  She felt good about this one area of her life and was determined not to let circumstances get in the way.  She will graduate in December of 2011. 

Susie is also a recovering alcoholic.  She has been sober for a little over a year and goes to NA meetings each Tuesday.  She took advantage of every opportunity that the shelter had.  She attended the domestic violence support group, life skills classes and anything else available to her.

After being at the shelter for a little over a month, Susie found a part time job as a waitress.  She worked as many hours as they gave her at the restaurant.

In January, Susie found an apartment and moved in with the help of The Salvation Army.  She is continuing to work with the shelter and still meets with her case manager weekly.  She is continuing to go to work and school.  She is getting used to being alone and on her own.  It is so very obvious to that her self esteem has risen tremendously since the first day she walked into the shelter.

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the client.

Valentine’s Party for Shelter Residents

The stories of residents at The Salvation Army Women and Children’s Shelter are usually sad ones. Most of the residents – many are mothers and their children – come to the shelter as a last resort because they are homelessness or fleeing abusive domestic situations. To celebrate Valentine’s Day may be especially hard for some of these mothers.

Residents sat excitedly in the lobby of The Salvation Army’s Social Services Center Feb. 13, 2010 to await a Valentine’s Day party. In the room down the hall, 12 members of the Indian Creek Christian Church were setting up the last minute preparations to make this a day that would brighten the spirits of those who have endeared so much. In the room were tables for making cards and picture frames, a table for icing cookies and a gift table.

Different groups throughout the year put on such events as this one. It’s a way for residents to be able to get out of their rooms and associate with other residents.

“I think it shows clients that people care”, said Julia Sipes, special projects coordinator for the shelter. “It gives them something to look forward to.”

Indian Creek Christian Church member Lesa Caldwell has helped with events for the shelter before. Her bible study group thought of the idea of a Valentine’s Day party for the shelter. They wanted to make this a positive day for the residents.

Caldwell’s 8 year old son was helping at the party by wrapping the gifts at the gift table, where kids could select a Valentine’s Day present for their moms. The church members realized that some mothers didn’t currently have photos of their children to be put in their decorated frames, so they were taking photos at the party for the frames as well. The church also brought several bags of clothing and supplies for the shelter.

Caldwell said that this event has been a way for the group to “move outside the walls of the church to serve God.”

The party was successful with about twenty residents attending. *Sharron and her grandchildren are residents at the shelter escaping a bad situation. “I love it,” Sharron said about the party. “We are so grateful.”

*Susan, another shelter resident, also came to the party. She’s staying at the shelter because she has nowhere else to go and has no other family with her. She calls the events like the Valentine’s Day party as a way to distract her from the situation that she’s in. “When you’re here [at the party] you don’t think of where you are,” said Susan.

For further information on how you can put on an event for the shelter, contact Julia Sipes at 317-224-1067.

 *Names have been changed to conceal the identity of the residents.

Harriett* has been struggling with depression for most of her life. When she came to The Salvation Army four years ago, she had left a domestic violence situation with her husband and had overcome a drug addiction. However even though she was past the violence and the drugs, she still struggled with her mental health. During her first stay at The Salvation Army, Harriett rarely left her room and did not take any actions to improve her own life.

Harriett recently came back to the shelter for a second time, and she made great progress! She started to take control of her depression, and has been working on her independence and self confidence. She no longer stayed in her room, but made efforts to look for a part time job while applying for SSD and participating in the Shelter Plus Care program. Harriett also sees a counselor twice a month, which she would have never done before.

We am so proud of Harriett and the progress she has made. Even though she was nervous about moving out on her own, she knew that was the step in the right direction and that The Salvation Army was there still to support her. She has been clean for over 20 years and now has much better coping skills. She is part of our Continuing Support Program and continues to meet with her case manager once a week.

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the client.

The Door Swings Two Ways

I remember November the fourth.  That was the day that I walked into The Salvation Army.  That day could have been a bright, sunny day, but at that moment everything around me was dark.

I remember the lady at the front desk asked how she could help me.  I remember trying to talk to her as I broke down into tears while explaining that I had no place to stay and I needed shelter.  I was immediately given a roof over my head, food to eat and a bed to lay my weary body.  During my stay at Salvation Army I met other ladies who were going through similar situations.  After going through a depression, I began to deal with my sadness and anger and began attending programs, classes and bible studies.  I began to start feeling more uplifted and realized that God had a real plan for me.

The shelter staff and my case manager encouraged me all through my trip to a new beginning.  I want to tell you that having caring people behind you really means a lot.  I am now working and recently started going to school.  I even found my own apartment!

I believe with God’s blessings and the Salvation Army’s help I am now on my way.  Like I said, the door swings two ways, you may walk in down, but you can walk out with your head held high knowing that you are blessed and not having to look back at the garbage you left behind.

Thank you Salvation Army.  God is good all the time!

School on Wheels Partners with Monday Funday!

Monday, January 11 was an exciting day for us here at the shelter – it was the first day of the new and improved “Monday Funday!”

Monday Funday is a mentoring group that was started last summer by a group of volunteers.  Originally intended to be a 14 week program, it was so successful with the residents and the volunteers that we decided to carry it over into the school year.  School nights changed what the activities of Monday Funday looked like but it surely didn’t change the positive relationships being built between our kids and volunteers!  Each week volunteers spend about an hour helping the children with their homework or an educational activity.  After that we end the night with a fun activity or craft.

This spring semester we have teamed up with one of our long time partners, School on Wheels, to make Monday nights even more effective.  School on Wheels is helping our mentors improve their tutoring skills with improved resources and approaches that have proven to be effective through their years of tutoring.

We’re excited about our new partnership and can’t wait to see what this semester will unfold!

A Success Story

Sonny* came to our shelter from Chicago after leaving a very abusive situation with her son’s parents.  Sonny struggled both with  finding a job and with her son, who is truly an example of the terrible twos!  She finally found a job at Steak n’ Shake working days.  She worked very close with the Homeless Initiative Program and found herself an apartment.  Sonny moved out the shelter 2 weeks before Christmas.  Sonny continues to come to the shelter for case management and childcare.  She is also enrolled in our Continuing Support program, in which we can assist her with food and household items.  Sonny is now currently taking classes at Ivy Tech and her son is thriving in their new apartment.  He will begin Head Start in the fall.

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of our clients

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