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The Salvation Army - King County 

Description

With heart to God and hand to man, The Salvation Army strives to meet the basic needs of all who come seeking help. Taking immediate care of the basic human needs of food, shelter, clothing and safety is an important first step in the development of a more positive and permanent change in the people we help.

Mission Statement

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

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The Salvation Army - King County
PO Box 9219 
Seattle 
WA
98109-0200 
(206) 281-4600 

Major Doug Tollerud 
NW Divisional Commander 

Programs

The Salvation Army - King County Programs

Short-term assistance is available for individuals and families facing a crisis. The Salvation Army's ultimate goal is to guide our clients onto a path of stability and self-sufficiency, and to encourage them to grow in all aspects of their lives. Through long-term participation in our programs, clients develop tools essential in making a better life for themselves and their families: self respect, marketable skills and strength of character.

The Salvation Army Domestic Violence Programs provide an array of services for women and children whose lives have been affected by abuse: an emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, prevention education, and individual advocacy. For these women, finding safe shelter can mean the difference between life and death. The Salvation Army has been responding to domestic violence in Seattle and the King County area for over thirty years.

The holiday season tends to be one of joy for many in our community. However, for families and individuals who are struggling financially, the holidays can be a very dark time. The Salvation Army's holiday programs, such as Toy n' Joy and Adopt a Family, allow Northwest community members to give a hand up to the struggling amongst us. Corporations, families and school groups adopt families in our programs, generously meeting the family's needs and instilling hope in those who have none.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

The Salvation Army will be able to assist more clients with their energy bills thanks to Puget Sound Energy. The gift will go directly into The Warm Home Fund, which has already helped more than 1,000 households pay their utility bills with $171,000 in voluntary contributions from PSE employees and customers, and an additional $50,000 of support from PSE.

The Catherine Booth House in Seattle provides confidentially located, emergency shelter to women (with or without children) in flight from dangerous domestic violence and stalking situations. It operates 24/7, 365 days a year with referrals coming from police, emergency rooms, social workers and the 24-hour Crisis Line. We currently need general operating funds and invite you to help us save the lives of battered women and children, and steer them toward a more fulfilling and safe future.

Evaluation

The Salvation Army's Renton Corps (SARC) Backpack Feeding Program is a partnership with the Renton School District that distributes food to children at risk of hunger over the weekends.

Accessibility and Cultural Competency
Access to food assistance became more difficult in Renton with the closure of another nonprofit food bank in 2008. With strong local leadership and volunteer support, the Salvation Army’s Renton Food Bank has intentionally set out to fill the service-gap for Renton families and children. The Backpack Feeding Program is a key component of that strategy. Backpacks are filled with 4 kid-friendly meals and 2 snacks per child and delivered to schools for check-out on Friday; they are then returned by students on Mondays. In 2010, the program served more than 250 children each week at four high-need Renton elementary schools.

The Backpack concept allows children who might otherwise be teased about accepting assistance to make receiving food a private transaction. The anonymity that comes with distributing meals in an ordinary backpack allows students to retain their dignity despite the fact that their basic needs aren’t being met at home.

Sustainability
Through efficiencies realized via partnerships and the use of volunteer labor, SARC has reduced the cost of the program from $15 to $12 per backpack per weekend. In terms of numbers of children served, the program expands and contracts based on dollars raised to support the initiative.

In recognition of the Backpack Feeding Program’s effectiveness, the United Way recently awarded the Salvation Army a $25,000 grant to expand the program to White Center schools in 2011.

Collaboration
SARC works closely with the Renton school district, Communities in Schools of Renton, community volunteers, and the Salvation Army’s Renton food bank to operate, assess, and expand the program. Because Communities in Schools already has staff based in partner-schools, using this nonprofit as an intermediary between the Salvation Army and school sites has made the program more efficient and therefore able to serve more children.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
6/10/2012 $150,000.00to support completion of the Basic Needs Center project.
3/10/2011 $10,000.00support general operating expenses.
12/14/2006 $28,000.00support general operating expenses.

Financials

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