WINSLOW — With the holiday season comes the increased awareness of the needs of others but that need is apparent year-round at the Winslow branch of the Salvation Army. There, residents are assisted with housing and utility costs, as well as prescription medication costs. Theresa Warren, a long-time volunteer with the program explained, “If someone comes in with a need for their rent to be paid or their utilities, that’s where the Salvation Army can help. We can also help with prescriptions, but we don’t get many calls for that.”
Costs associated with assisting are solely covered by funds raised during the holiday bell-ringing Red Kettle season. Warren explained, “As far as utility help, we do have a partnership with Unisource (natural gas provider) and APS (Arizona Public Service). Those companies have what is called the SHARE (Service to Help Arizonans with Relief on Energy). Each Salvation Army Unit is allotted so much per month from SHARE. We cap the assistance we can provide at $300 and SHARE pays a portion of that.”
Rental and mortgage assistance is also available, with the same $300 cap. Both programs are tracked, and citizens are not permitted to take advantage of assistance more than once a year on housing costs, or once every two years on utility costs. Warren said, “It is designed to get people through hard times, not be a permanent solution. In fact, it is not income based, the assistance Salvation Army provides is hardship based.”
Hardships can occur in many forms Warren explained. “For example, if you get sick and can’t make it to work, or you get laid off and need help between jobs, or if your kid gets sick and you have to miss a few shifts. Navajo County is so economically depressed that many of our community members are living precariously between paychecks. We have seen that $300 in assistance save people from having their utilities shut off or being evicted from their homes. You don’t realize how close we all are to hardship until you start helping those who experience them.”
According to Warren, residents seeking assistance have to meet certain criteria. She said, “This program is meant to be a way to bridge the gap between hardship and being on your feet. They have to prove a source of income, provide proof of a hardship and of course, proof of their costs.”
Red Kettle season is important to the efforts of Salvation Army. Warren continued, “Our only source of funding, unless someone just walks in and makes a huge donation, is bell ringing. We have made up to $10,000 in the month of the red kettle collections and that will carry us through the year. We do not have local administrative costs, all the work we do here is on a volunteer basis. We deposit the donations in to a local bank account, which volunteers cannot access. Ten percent of the total amount does go to the organization for administrative costs. That is a very small amount for a non-profit,” said Warren, “some, if not most will take 50 or even 70 percent.”
Winslow resident Julie Dixon volunteered to ring the bell last season and plans to do it again this year. “I ring the bell in appreciation for the organization in general. My fiancé went through the Salvation Army’s Combat Addiction Program and it saved his life. This organization is so important to my family, so I just want to give back.”
Dixon added, “After he graduated from the rehab program, they (Salvation Army) helped him get grants to go to college and now he is working on his Associate of Arts degree to become an occupational therapist working with drug addicts.”
The Red Kettle season runs from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve each year. The money raised stays in Winslow and benefits families in the community. Volunteers are always welcomed.
Warren said. “We encourage groups and individuals to volunteer their time to help their community. Or, if they are not able, to drop a few coins in to the kettle.” To volunteer, or for more information on the Salvation Army, contact volunteer coordinator Dave Summers at DSummers@azadc.gov.
