Red Shield Family Residence Gets $30K Grant
THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA SALVATION ARMY RECEIVES A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE W.W. SMITH CHARITABLE TRUST
The Greater Philadelphia Salvation Army is pleased to announce it has received a $30,000 grant from The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust for food and furniture for The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Family Residence (RSFR), located at 715 N. Broad Street in Philadelphia. The emergency shelter currently houses over 40 families, offering compassionate and non-judgmental services to empower homeless residents to achieve self sufficiency.
“We are so grateful for the trustees of The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust who continue to be faithful partners with us. We will use the bulk of the grant to feed the clients who come seeking our help, some of whom have cultural preferences and dietary restrictions. We will also purchase new dressers, bunk beds, and mattresses to replace what we’ve been using for years and make residents feel more at home,” explained Andrea Snyder, Director of The Salvation Army’s Philadelphia Social Service Ministries. “At a time when these families might have lost everything, we do whatever we can to ease the frustration and desperation of their lives. Giving them personal space and the ability to express their food preferences helps empower them.”
Several new bunk beds will be used in the RSFR’s overflow rooms to serve up to six more families a night, keeping them safe and off the streets. The extra funding will also help RSFR feed more individuals nightly. In addition to private rooms and nutritious meals, residents receive case management, parenting and life skills classes, academic enrichment, financial savings assistance, continuing education, and more.
“Homelessness and intergenerational poverty are an increasing concern in the U.S. and, more specifically, in Philadelphia, where on any given night, more than 1,000 children under the age of 18 can be in a shelter, transitional housing, or living on the street. The COVID-19 global pandemic has turned everyone’s world upside down. Just as The Salvation Army has done for decades, we will be here for those who need our services and we will remain a beacon of hope to lift their spirits,” assured Major Tawny Cowen-Zanders, Divisional Secretary.
In recent years, The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust has generously supported The Salvation Army’s mission by providing tens of thousands of dollars in funding to help those who are homeless and seniors who are struggling.
“Much of what The Salvation Army has done in the past and is able to do now and in the future would not be possible without the support of community partners like The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust,” Major Cowen-Zanders stated.
As the Philadelphia community begins the road to recovery, they can be assured The Salvation Army will walk with them every step of the way. The Salvation Army will always be in every community before, during, and after a crisis. The Salvation Army is here. Here. For Good.
To give to The Salvation Army, please go to Here. For Good.
To become a corporate partner, contact Stephen Brown, Corporate Giving Manager, The Salvation Army of Eastern PA and DE, Stephen.Brown@use.salvationarmy.org.