Strength Found Through ‘Angels’ on Earth
The Salvation Army’s Family Caring Center, located Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood, helps families through difficult times. Typical shelters for those experiencing homelessness are often gender specific, allowing either women and children, or men only. The Salvation Army’s Family Caring Center accepts entire family units, offering a unique, family-focused program. As one woman shares, the team at the Family Caring Center, are “angels in disguise.”
She was young when she lost her mother. This loss was felt deep in her core. God knew, she needed someone to help her through. When she first arrived at The Salvation Army’s Family Caring Center, she felt the circumstances that brought her there were all her fault. She needed safety from a domestic violence situation. When she arrived, she says she found a place of love, full of strong and Godly women.
“It felt so good for me to have strong women fighting for me and my children. Showing me God’s grace and mercy.”
The Family Caring Center has apartment-style units allowing the family to remain together in a safe, secure environment with three meals a day and specialized programming to help them get back on their feet. Children’s activities are supervised while guardians attend classes in parenting, budgeting, resume-building and job skills, all with the intention of transforming their lives and transitioning them back into the community. With the help of the staff, this woman (who wishes to remain anonymous to protect her identity) was able to find a permanent home for her family within 30 days. She wants her story to encourage others going through hard times.
“Don’t give up and trust the process no matter what.”
She knows the future is brighter, thanks to The Salvation Army. She says the life-changing help she received, inspires her to live life like the strong women who helped her.
“My mother knew I needed these women. God knew I needed them. They mothered me back to health.”
Visit salvationarmywpa.org to learn more about the Family Caring Center. You can also follow The Salvation Army’s Family Caring Center’s Facebook page to see this work in action.