The Butler Salvation Army Provides Comfort, Congregation, and Caring
When the love of Dell Courtney’s life passed away two years ago, she was completely alone, facing a future without any friends or family nearby, with barely enough money for groceries to survive.
Connecting to The Salvation Army in Butler not only provided Dell with the access to food she desperately needed, but also with a new beginning, and a support system of friends who care about her, letting her know that she is not alone.
“When I came to The Salvation Army, I felt like people really liked me all of a sudden. I am usually completely alone. It made me feel like I am an important person,” Dell said.
Dell receives food assistance from The Salvation Army, attending the free lunch program every Monday through Friday.
“The lunch program is about so much more than the meal – it’s about giving people the chance to connect, congregate, and to support each other,” Captain David Means said.
Dell’s relationship with The Salvation Army has grown into a spiritual journey that has also led her to begin attending weekly Sunday worship services, reconnecting to a faith in God she had stepped away from years ago.
“When I didn’t attend services, the Captains would go out of their way to tell me that they missed me there. It just showed me that they care enough to even inquire,” she said.
In addition, Dell has received utility assistance, and more recently the spiritual support that comes with attending worship services every Sunday morning.
“As she has also been dealing with a medical problem, I was able to pray with her, and seeing her grow in that respect and seeing that she is glad to be back at church on Sunday is a wonderful thing,” Captain Means said. “It’s good to be able to reach a person in that way. We just get to know our clients as people, and through those conversations, we can see what their spiritual needs are.”
Dell said that her support system at The Salvation Army is just one way that her life has changed for the better as a result of reaching out for help when she needed it most.
“The ladies who work here show that they really care about me and I feel that I am being protected in a way, that they are looking out for my best interest,” Dell said. “People need people – that’s for sure.”
Any donation amount makes a difference. Click here to give to The Salvation Army Butler Worship and Service Center online Red Kettle today.