The Salvation Army of Livingston County Advisory Board Brochure 2023

Advisory

Board Introduction Of Livingston County The Salvation Army Doing

The Salvation Army CORE VALUES

Living in Poverty in an Affluent Community

Livingston County is one of the most affluent counties in Michigan. Yet, more than a quarter of its residents struggle to pay for their basic necessities! According to the Michigan ALICE Report (2019), a study commissioned by United Way :

FAITH

We choose to be brave and have faith, often going into places and circumstances others prefer to avoid.

7%

27%

Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) families have jobs but do not have the income to cover the basic necessities no less allow for savings for unforeseen emergencies such as major car repairs or illnesses. They live in both towns and rural areas. They include people of every age and demographic.

HOPE

We give uplifting hope for today and for eternal salvation through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

STEWARDSHIP

We responsibly manage the resources entrusted to us.

SERVICE

We reach out with respect and compassion to meet human needs in God’s name with passion and without discrimination.

The Salvation Army has been working throughout Livingston County to enrich the lives of people like these - our community’s most vulnerable - for over 125 years, offering emergency assistance and educational, recreational, social, and spiritual activities for people of all ages, especially for children and the elderly. And, the need is growing!

The Salvation Army not only serves those with limited incomes, it is prepared to help people conquer their addictions as well as supporting the community in times of disaster with food, water, clothing, and shelter. These efforts result in a significant economic return to the community.

of the county’s population lives in poverty

are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employee (ALICE)

Pathway of Hope

ENDING GENERATIONAL POVERTY

The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope initiative provides individualized services to families with children who desire to take action to break the cycle of crisis and vulnerability that repeats generation after generation. It seeks to address the root causes of poverty in addition to the Army’s history of compassionate serving. By helping families overcome challenges like unemployment, unstable housing, and lack of education, we can lead families down a path toward increased stability and, ultimately, self-sufficiency.

Through involvement with Pathway of Hope, families will be introduced to both Salvation Army and other services that are available within our community that offer a network of support, a sense of community, holistic programs, and spiritual guidance. Pathway of Hope is also a service connector to job training, health services, childcare and education, housing options, legal services, and much more.

The Pathway of Hope Approach Includes:

Moving families from crises and vulnerability to stability and eventually self-sufficiency, tracking family progress along the way

JANE’S STORY

In February 2017, Jane and her two children came to our office. After initial evaluations, we referred Jane to our Pathway of Hope Program. Jane was unemployed and the family was homeless for nearly two years. As of November 2017, with the hard work of the family and the guidance of our case manager, Jane is employed and living in her own apartment.

Focus on hope as a measured outcome, which represents the distinctly relational, spiritual outcome that The Salvation Army seeks in the work it does

Catalyzing community collaboration in service of shared clients

Bringing all The Salvation Amy’s internal resources to bear, aligned to the goals of clients

Strengths-based case management services

The Salvation Army Advisory Board

ADVISORY BOARD JOB DESCRIPTION

The purpose of the Advisory Board is to provide input (advice), support (financial, time), and key influence with external constituencies (door opening and advocacy) to further the goals and objectives of The Salvation Army in pursuit of its mission. The Advisory Board is not a governing board of directors and is therefore not the ultimate authority on decision making. However, it provides vital support and influence as Army leadership engages strategic opportunities and challenges, seeks to make wise decisions, and pursues the resources needed to carry out the Army’s mission in a particular community.

OBLIGATIONS

• Attend at least 75% of all Advisory Board meetings and related functions

• Serve on at least one Advisory Board committee

• Protect confidentiality of agency matters, avoid conflicts of interest and be loyal to The Salvation Army

• Understand, support and advocate The Salvation Army’s mission/programs in the community

• Monitor, interpret and communicate (to the officer and Advisory Board) the community’s pulse, character, and needs

• Open doors, develop relationships and identify opportunities in the community

• Serve as a liaison between The Salvation Army and the community

• Ask questions and regularly contribute to Advisory Board discussion by offering thoughtful insights and opinions

• Provide focus and strategic vision to the corps and the Advisory Board

• Support Advisory Board decisions regardless of personal desires and/or opinions

• Maintain Advisory Board and corps direction, assure consistency and continuity of programs even in conjunction with leadership changes

• Study agenda and other materials distributed by the secretary prior to each Advisory Board meeting in preparation for meetings

• Review and question all minutes and reports submitted to the Advisory Board

• Support and assist the officer with solving administrative and operational matters

• Participate in developing the corps’ strategic plan as appropriate

• Assist in meeting and measuring the corps’ goals/ initiatives as appropriate

• Participate in corps’ financial development and fundraising efforts

• Review and approve proposed annual budget

• Conduct studies and performs research as necessary

• Be involved in process and controls that ensure corps’ fiscal accountability

• Demonstrate initiative, enthusiasm, and passion

TIME EXPECTATIONS

• Three-year term

• Attend regularly scheduled Advisory Board meetings held on the first Wednesday of each month from 7:30am8:30am

• Take on a small project (ROCK) assigned at beginning of the year and complete

• Attend scheduled Advisory Board retreats, planning meetings, workshops or other board development activities

• Attend, support and participate in special events

Livingston County Community Center Expansion

AN INVESTMENT THAT WILL CHANGE LIVES

Our vision for the Livingston County Corps Community Center is much more than just a bigger building. It is to provide a catalyst for the addition of new programs and growth of much needed existing community programs, reaching more people in a safe, nurturing, dignified and lifechanging way.

The building is already purchased. And, renovation is estimated at $2.5 million, which includes all construction costs, fees, furnishings, and equipment. An endowment will be established from the sale of the current property to cover additional operating costs.

LIMITATIONS OF THE CURRENT BUILDING

The current building at 503 Lake Street in Howell is over 70 years old. During those years the building has received a hodgepodge of additions and modifications. The Salvation Army first occupied this building over 30 years ago with the intention of residing on a temporary basis.

This current building is located on an “out-of-the-way” residential street not zoned for this type of use. Visibility to the community is limited and does not provide ample accessibility for clients. As the new facility is completed, the current property will be sold and the proceeds placed in an endowment to cover the operating costs of the new building.

Staff offices also serve as storage rooms and offer no space for private family counseling or group programs and often serve as storerooms. No space is available for additional staff or volunteers which limits the expansion of current community programs and the addition of new programs. Kitchen

facilities are small and cannot support group activities. Parking is limited. Restroom facilities are inadequate for community gatherings. As a result, existing programs are limited.

WHAT THE NEW BUILDING WILL PROVIDE FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Located at 3600 East Grand River, Howell, Michigan, the new building will be more than twice the size of our current building and will provide much needed space to expand and improve our existing community programs and accommodate new programs.

Artist Rendering

The new building includes:

• A youth center

• Flexible, multipurpose meeting rooms for group counseling, crafts and worship

• Private rooms for social workers to meet with clients in privacy and with dignity

• A food pantry capable of storing and distributing fresh foods

• Increased storage space needed for the expansion of current programs plus new programs

• Secured storage maintaining client confidentiality

• Kitchen facilities supporting meals for events, feeding programs and emergency disaster assistance

• A chapel

• Classrooms and computer labs

• A and secure functional lobby and additional parking

The new building is conveniently located on the Livingston Essential Transportation Service (L.E.T.S.) route making it easier for clients without transportation to receive services from The Salvation Army.

PROGRAM EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES

Summer Feeding Program

In 2018, The Salvation Army provided over 3,894 meals to children in Livingston County. The Salvation Army is limited to fulfill the need due to lack of space and facilities in the current building. The new building will allow The Salvation Army to support this program more efficiently and cost effectively with the potential of increasing the number of meals and grocery packs by 7,500 and 25,000 pounds or more.

HOW WE SERVED THE COMMUNITY IN 2020

Lodging: 2,226 Bed Nights

Eviction Aversion: 120*

Utility Assistance: 111

Women’s Programs: 76 Women

Summer Lunch Bunch: 9,235 Meals

Food Pantry: 202 Households

Food Programs: 57,236 Families

Coats for Kids: 832 Outer Winter Wear

Thrift Store Voucher: 105 Families

Gifts Distributed: 15,784

Thanksgiving: 253 Families

Christmas: 680 Families

Coats for Kids: 832 Outer Winter Wear

Thrift Store Voucher: 105 Families

Youth Programs

These programs ensure healthy social development and education for children to keep them on track to finish high school. Our current facility can barely host 25 youths at a time for such social activities. The new building will be able accommodate 75 youths taking them off the streets or being alone at home.

Women’s Programs

With additional space and privacy, The Salvation Army’s Woman’s Programs can expand providing more guidance, fellowship, and educational opportunities. Currently, capacity is 25 women in a non-confidential space. The new building would allow this program to be expanded well over 75 women while maintaining privacy.

Children

Provide a place for children to play while their parents are participating in one of our programs.

Food Pantry

Additional space for the food pantry will assist The Salvation Army with the goal of adding fresh foods and serving more families. Last year we served 148 families. The new building can support over 1,000 families annually.

Winter Warm Clothing Distribution

This critical program can expand and operate without disturbing other activities and with added respect and dignity for our clients in need. In 2018, 953 articles of winter clothing were distributed. More is needed.

Pathway of Hope Program

New rooms will allow for privacy and greater effectiveness.

Currently, there is either a complete lack of privacy or clients are “cramped” into small spaces whereby couples and families cannot meet together with our counselors. With the new building, this program can be doubled (see a further description of this program on the previous pages).

Eviction Diversion Program

This program brings tenants and landlords together during a court hearing. The Salvation Army currently intervenes with the tenant and landlord at the court house, acting as a mediator. Though there has been success in averting families from being evicted, the current intervention is late in the process and already incurs court fees, which only aggravates the problem. With the new facility, The Salvation Army can facilitate meetings between landlords and tenants prior to court filings thereby avoiding court costs, stress, and delays.

The program is so successful that judges will recess an appropriate eviction case and order the parties to meet with our representative, then reconvene with a solution in hand. Landlords respect our intervention and actively seek it. We achieve tremendous savings for the community by keeping families in their homes rather than emergency shelters or worse.

NEW PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES

Computer Lab

Providing access to this resource for education, schoolwork, job searches, resumes, medical information, registration for state services, and other social services.

New Community Programs and Classes

Budgeting, resume writing, parenting, healthy eating, physical fitness classes for seniors and more. The Salvation Army will

SUSAN’S STORY

Sue, a single mother with a life-long disability and limited fixed income, turned to us after falling behind in rent payments and losing her apartment. The Salvation Army was her last hope. No landlord was willing to rent to her because of her rental history. Her disability made communication difficult, and that only made her situation worse.

We brought Susan out of crisis by providing her with a one-week hotel voucher for emergency shelter and we gave Sue food from our pantry. During that week, Salvation Army case managers advocated for Sue with other agencies and found a landlord willing to work with her. The Salvation Army helped her with move-in costs, and now Sue and her son have stable housing.

be able to serve over 500 people a year in specialty classes to move them forward in life.

Warming Shelter and a Cooling Shelter

Provides temporary shelter during weather extremes.

Emergency Disaster Assistance

Belonging to the Livingston County Disaster Network, the new building will allow us to temporarily house families during disasters and facilitate the distribution of water and food.

Enhanced Collaboration

The new facility can enhance our collaboration with other social service providers in the area by providing meeting space, storage of food and equipment, training programs, etc.

Men’s Ministries

Provide the space for this new program to provide guidance, fellowship spiritual and educational opportunities for those men in need.

Events

The new facility will provide us the space needed to host fund raising events, thereby reducing the costs associated with such efforts.

SERVING THE MOST VULNERABLE IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHERS

The Salvation Army does not work alone. We leverage and work with community partners to ensure that our efforts are additive, not duplicative. Community partners include: United Way of Livingston County, Love Inc., Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency, Gleaners Community Food Bank, Community Mental Health, Catholic Social Services, and many others.

The Salvation Army Welcome to Mission Statement