Moreno Valley Homeless to Work Program gets $1M

BY VIVIAN LOPEZ

In March 2022, Vietnam Veteran Tommie Murry said he was homeless on the streets of Moreno Valley, California, and addicted to drugs. But he found The Salvation Army Riverside Corps’ Homeless to Work Program and turned his life around in less than a year.

Fast forward to nine months later and Murry is thriving. He’s off of drugs and the streets, and has full-time employment in maintenance at the local U.S. Vets facility along with his own apartment and truck.

“It was either ‘Do something for yourself or give up on life,’” Murry said. “And The Salvation Army, they came through and saved my life. They saved my life and I haven’t been back on drugs [since].”

The Salvation Army gets $5M to help families exit homelessness

Funding will help support families experiencing homelessness in the Denver metro area.

BY LOU BUHL

When Salvation Army Denver Metro Social Services Director Kristen Baluyot received the email invitation to apply for a grant from The Day 1 Families Fund, she said she initially thought it was spam.

Unfamiliar with the fund, Baluyot said she forwarded the email to the IT department to verify its validity. Once confirmed legitimate, she found The Day 1 Families Fund, launched in 2018 by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, issues annual grants to organizations on the frontlines of helping families experiencing homelessness. In the last five years, the fund awarded more than $500 million to expand programs and services helping families achieve housing stability.

This grant will help us meet the increased demand and continue our track record of rehousing families.

—MAJOR MIKE DICKINSON

“It was quite surprising that the foundation discovered the work we’re doing and thought it would be worthwhile to approach us,” she said. “We submitted the request for the full amount, and to our great pleasure, we are receiving the full amount.”

The Salvation Army in the Denver metro area received a $5 million grant, and was among 40 organizations chosen in 2022 for grants totaling $123.45 million.

“We are deeply humbled by the support of the Day 1 Families Fund,” said Salvation Army Intermountain Divisional Commander Major Mike Dickinson. “This grant will help us meet the increased demand and continue our track record of rehousing families.”

A significant portion of this one-time grant, Baluyot added, will help The Salvation Army support families by quadrupling the capacity at its short-term family shelter, the Lambuth Family Center.

While the center currently serves up to 20 families at any given time, it’s projected to break ground on a new facility in spring 2023 that will expand program capacity to 85 families.

By implementing a housing-first model alongside trauma-informed case management, the Lambuth Family Center helps families address and eliminate barriers preventing them from securing stable housing.

Guided by the belief that people need to focus on basic necessities, like food and shelter, before addressing less critical issues, a housing-first approach is “based on the understand-

Caring is a magazine from The Salvation Army for people who care about making an impact for good. As a Salvation Army officer or employee, you’ll also find a curated collection of inspiring news for you in the New Frontier Chronicle print edition and our email newsletter, the Weekly. See more at caringmagazine.org.