SAFE, LOVED & CARED FOR Senior center brings support to

older adults in Modesto

The staff at The Salvation Army in Modesto, California, began noticing a gap in older adults’ services in the community when they saw seniors walking near the Red Shield Community Center to get a bit of exercise. The seniors would stop to rest in the shade under the overhang of the facility before heading back home.

“We said, ‘We see you here a lot resting in the grass, and [are wondering] why?’” said Major Harold Laubach, Jr., Salvation Army Modesto Corps Officer. “And they’re like, ‘There’s no place around here [for us]. We want to get out of the house. We want to exercise.’”

So Salvation Army team members started getting to know the seniors and having conversations with them to better understand what services were needed.

“The area is incredibly low income and… the infrastructure there is very poor,” said Joanne Ramos, Donor Relations Director for the Central Valley of The Salvation Army Golden State Division. “The neighborhood is not necessarily safe for the seniors to walk alone.”

BY VIVIAN LOPEZ • PHOTOS BY JOHN DOCTER

We say here at the Red Shield that the seniors are the party and the joy of our programs because they just have been so open to receiving the care and the love that we want to provide for them— and in return, they bring so much joy to our lives.

—MAJOR HAROLD LAUBACH, JR

Meanwhile, Laubach noted that a report had found the average age of the clients nearby at The Salvation Army Haig and Isabel Berberian Shelter and Transitional Living Center was 52—an increase from previous years.

That’s where the idea for a senior center at the Red Shield stemmed from.

The Salvation Army Golden State Division already had a long-standing relationship with Sutter Health—with the foundation providing a $300,000 grant in 2019 for the renovation and expansion of the Berberian Shelter.

When the need for the senior center became apparent, Ramos worked with Salvation Army Red Shield Operations Manager Maria Arellano to write a grant request to Sutter Health to fund the program.

“It was just a matter of communicating with them, describing what the need was and how we were going to serve that need, and they agreed to the grant,” Ramos said.

Sutter Health awarded The Salvation Army in Modesto with a $353,000 grant to start the senior center at the facility. The funding would cover program supplies, staff and an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-com- pliant vehicle to transport seniors to and from the Red Shield for the program.

As far as staffing goes, they were able to hire a senior coordinator, a driver for the ADA vehicle and a cook who would prepare breakfast and lunch for the seniors and teach them how to cook healthy meals at home. Modesto Associate Corps Officer Captain Thelma Jimenez said they were mindful of their hiring approach.

“One of our ways of being really intentional with [staffing] was to also be intentional with the type of community that we were going to serve, which was a bilingual community,” Jimenez said. “We wanted to make sure we were able to facilitate bilingual ministry into that program, so we did and we were able to hire employees who were bilingual. That was a huge benefit to our program because I would say about 80 percent of those we serve are bilingual.”

Once everything was in order, the senior center opened its doors in October 2022. The program runs Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

On those days, after they arrive, the seniors start the day with breakfast.

Then afterward, they have an activity or exercise class. The seniors work with an exercise coach at the Red Shield—exercising three times a week with the gym equipment at the facility. During the summer, they’ll also be able to participate in water aerobics. On activity days, seniors participate in crafts, presentations from guest speakers on relevant topics, games days or field trips to places like the local farm, pumpkin patch and jelly bean factory.

After that, participants have time for fellowship with one another before lunch. And when they’re done with lunch, they go home.

“Our goal and dream for this program is that people can continue to have a safe place to go where they can learn of God, eat a really delicious meal, and learn, grow, and be comfortable,” Jimenez said.

Response to the program has been positive. In fact, in the weeks since the program’s launch, program attendance is already between 20 to 30 participants. Many seniors have started joining the corps’ Sunday church services as well.

“We’ve had nothing but amazing results and testimonials,” Laubach said. “It’s a big deal to [the seniors].”

“They love it,” Jimenez added. “We say here at the Red Shield that the seniors are the party and the joy of our programs because they just have been so open to receiving the care and the love that we want to provide for them—and in return, they bring so much joy to our lives.”

The exercise the seniors are getting is already resulting in health improvements.

“Some of the exercise is really helping some of the seniors who really had problems with balance and the ability to walk,” Ramos said. “It’s truly affecting them—mind, body and soul.”

Ramos said that one client was having shoulder problems and has regained mobility in her shoulders since working with the Red Shield’s exercise coach.

Jimenez said another senior previously struggled to get in and out of vehicles. After a few weeks of exercise classes, he no longer needs help with the car.

“He’s very flexible now and gets very excited because he says, ‘Thanks to those exercise classes, I can now get in and out of the car without being in pain or afraid of falling because I feel stronger and better,’” Jimenez said. “Just to be able to be part of those little success stories in their lives brings so much joy to our lives to be able to provide that for them.”

“We see just the difference that it’s making in their lives and how beautiful it is to see some of them go out of their comfort zones and also even try better for their own health,” Jimenez added.

Laubach and Jimenez hope the senior center is a program that continues past its original 15-month funding period. They said they are thankful for the opportunity that Sutter Health granted them to help impact the lives of the seniors in Modesto.

“We’re very grateful to Sutter Health for being willing to partner with us and help us serve the senior community and…provide a safe place for them,” Jimenez said.

Until then, Jimenez said the senior center at the Modesto Red Shield is intended to be a place where seniors “feel at home, safe, loved and cared for.”

“A lot of our seniors that we serve now would not have a space or something in their agendas to do. A lot of them have shared how much we have given them a reason to wake up in the morning and be excited to go to a place where they will do different activities and have fellowship and community,” Jimenez said. “We want to provide that for them and [show] that God loves them, that they’re not alone, and that there are people who care for them, who are praying for them and want to build intentional relationships with them.” NFC mander Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder spoke directly to Covert in front of some 150 attendees— Camp Directors, Divisional Youth Secretaries and Youth Department staff—from across the country and Canada, saying: “Ed, at every step and in every word you speak you lift up Jesus Christ. You do so in every conversation. You do so in every letter that you write. You do so for everything you’re planning—all the camps you’ve worked, the camping committee and indeed this event.”

Covert chaired the symposium as part of his role as The Salvation Army’s National Camp Liaison, through which he represents The Salvation Army at the American Camp Association and the Christian Camp and Conference Association.

The North America Camp Symposium marked the first time representatives from The Salvation Army’s U.S. camping ministries have gathered since 2012, and it was also the first time delegates from Canada joined. Throughout the event, attendees spent time learning, worshiping, sharing and refining their craft.

“The opportunity for all of us to be together in one place and enjoy the richness of our camp community and fellowship was just incredible,” Covert said. “It was more than I even dared that I might ever dream God might do for us.”

Southern California Divisional Camp Director Marty Brown was a part of the National Ad-Hoc Camping Committee that put the symposium together, and considers Covert to be the GOAT—greatest of all time—in terms of camp directing. “To hold that title, you must do the position extremely well, direct for a long time and have the results that reflect success,” he said.

“Ed’s impact is beyond just his own camp in Santa Cruz,” Brown said. “Most camp directors, including myself, reach out to Ed to discuss strategy, ministry, business, finance, customer service, operations, program and sometimes just to vent. I truly value my conversations with Ed and the way I lead comes from the Ed coaching tree.”

Covert’s commitment to developing leaders through what he calls the “leadership pipeline” is something he considers to be a key component of camp ministry. The leadership pipeline is based on research Covert’s read, and contains the steps to go from camper to camp director, taking a child who loves to go to camp and helping them get excited about the next opportunity, Golden State Divisional Commander Major Darren Norton said.

“Underneath that is this desire to draw people in,” Norton said. “It’s about drawing people into camping ministry. It’s about connecting kids deeper to The Salvation Army’s mission.”

As a Divisional Commander, Norton said that while the leadership pipeline is primarily about camp, it also is connected to The Salvation Army’s corps (church) ministry.

“It also corresponds to people being committed to their local corps and growing and serving,” he said. “I love that it’s helping our youth say that in a world where people are being drawn away from church… we’ll help develop you and give you opportunities for ministry.”

In addition to the leadership pipeline, Norton noted two other areas he’s witnessed Covert’s passion for: creation care and the desire for kids to know Jesus and thrive at camp.

Norton said throughout camp, Covert has taken sive. This is providing families an opportunity to make it one more week. And our services are available to them well beyond. This is a good kickstart to allow us to continue serving this community.”

Christina Arnold said the families received a variety of food items: chicken, eggs, produce and dry goods. She noted how challenging it was to find enough eggs, considering the current egg shortage.

“There was one really sweet moment,”

Christina Arnold said. “As the food was placed in the car, a little girl exclaimed, ‘Mom, look! We got milk.’”

During the event, Freeman presented The Salvation Army with an additional donation—a check for $5,000.

As the food was placed in the car, a little girl exclaimed, ‘Mom, look! We got milk.’

“It’s a huge help,” Jared Arnold said as he accepted the check. “Just the opportunity to see partnerships between community members like the Salvation Army and the Dodgers … that’s what we would like to promote, that we’re doing this together. It’s a collaboration for the people in need.”

For Freeman, the connection with The Salvation Army is personal. As soon as he found out about The Salvation Army event, he enlisted his family members to help him hand out food boxes, gallons of milk and Dodger Dogs.

“I’m in a long line of Salvationists,” said Freeman. “We actually have four generations of Salvationists here—my grandfather [retired Bandmaster Ed Freeman], my dad, me and my son, Charlie. So this is a pretty special day for us to be able to give back with The Salvation Army.”

A California native, Freeman returned to his home turf in 2022, joining the Dodgers after 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves.

“It’s just special being back, and especially [near] the place where I grew up in Orange County, to come out and do stuff like this,” said Freeman, whose wife Chelsea also attended. “We’ve got two more [children] at home that hopefully will be a part of this going forward. That’s why we’re here and that’s why I wanted to bring Charlie, to start early with him. It’s truly an honor to be a part of this.”

Christina Arnold recognized that events like this one can impact not only those in need, but also those who can help by showing them they can make a difference.

“We have the people—we need the resources,” she said. “[For this event] we had the space, we had the clients, and they had the resources. So we were able to get together and meet the need.”

She said they look forward to forming similar partnerships. Ultimately, the goal is to do the most good, for the most people possible.

“Long Beach is full of generous people who want to do good, but they don’t know how,” she said. “We’re happy to be that outlet. We’re already in contact with so many people in need, but with partnerships, we can do so much more.

“For our clients to see someone else care for them, side-by-side with us, it blesses them,” Arnold said. NFC measures to remind staff, campers and visitors alike that they are to be stewards of the earth. Norton said this can look like taking the water remaining in the pitchers used at mealtimes to water plants around camp.

And when it comes to speaking on the importance of evangelism, Norton said, “He can’t do it without breaking down into tears because of his passion for kids and youth and for camp to be a place where kids could meet Jesus and it could be the start of a lifelong relationship with him.”

Territorial Director for Youth Ministries Jim Sparks has also experienced this quality in Covert, noting “Ed wants every person that steps on camp grounds to experience Jesus in a new way.” But despite the years Covert has accumulated in the field, Sparks said he shows no signs of slowing down.

“It’s common for many to lose steam as their years stack up in their arena. After one conversation with Ed you get the sense that he hasn’t even peaked yet,” he said. “Ed is the steady driver in the camp community. In many ways he is the glue that connects the nation’s camping community together and it’s not because he is the National Camping Liaison, it’s because his level of care for camp goes well beyond his own camp’s borders. Ed’s passion for camp is simply contagious.”

For Covert, he said it’s the drive to want to pour into others as others have for him along with his belief in the mission of camp that keep him going.

“Oftentimes we have defined camp as being a week of fun and respite for kids and their families— and it is all of those things—but it’s only those things at their very best when we get their mission right,” he said. “If we get the mission right, kids are going to have the time of their life at camp.” NFC

FROM PAGE 7

“Sometimes [people experiencing homelessness] don’t want to engage with us, but other times they’re like, ‘Oh, this is great…these are the issues I’m struggling with,’” Davis said. “Then, we’re able to assess how we can further case manage those people.”

During outreach assessments, Davis added how there are certain checklists to ensure each individual will be able to move forward in the housing process, like obtaining birth certificates, social security cards and other means of identification and work authorization.

Once those items are accounted for, the team can work toward enrolling someone in the Rapid Rehousing program which supports each client through steps needed to secure permanent housing.

In addition to her role as the County Services Manager, Davis also serves as the Rapid Rehousing Case Management Coordinator, where she said she is cur- rently managing over 100 client cases.

Throughout the Rapid Rehousing program, clients are offered assistance in applying for stable employment including resume building and practice interviewing. Then, once financial needs are met and a client is moved into permanent housing, Davis said the team continues to provide support by keeping in contact in order to ensure that housing can be sustained.

Currently, the Rapid Rehousing program works with 22 landlords in the area, Davis said.

“I’m always connecting with landlords,” Davis added, noting how she’s always looking for more people to get involved.

“When I find landlords that are willing to participate, then I lead them to the cases that would fit the units that they have available,” she said.

As the Street Level Outreach services continue to grow in the San Luis Obispo area, Marquez said he hopes the team can increase outings to seven days a week. Until then, Davis said, “We just keep coming back and we keep trying.” NFC

Murry, who is 72 years old, told Homeless to Work Program Coordinator Vincent Fredborg that “the best decade of his life is going to be in his 70s.”

“[The program] gave me my initiative back and the inspiration to want to get back into work to do something to change my life,” Murry said. “You’re never too old. The opportunity is there. All you have to do is take advantage of it. They give you the opportunity, but it’s up to you to take advantage.”

Murry is one of 109 participants who have completed the Homeless to Work Program and among the 57 who have secured housing and employment.

“After the program, I’m in my own place [with] my own income coming in, paying my bills…and I’m in a great place now,” Murry said. “Everything fell into place through that program that I got into. Without it, I don’t know where I’d be today.”

The Homeless to Work Program—which serves Moreno Valley—offers 90-day employment to individuals facing homelessness. Participants are guided through a hiring process and employed to serve on a Salvation Army crew that works on city beautification efforts in the city.

“When we’re working those two days a week for fivehour shifts, I get to know these people,” Fredborg said. “It’s all about just having a relationship with somebody and getting to know them and meeting them where they’re at.”

At the end of the program, participants work with their case manager to find full-time employment that is best for them and their needs.

“Vince is very good about learning about comfort zones and triggers and skills and abilities to place someone in a job,” said Captain David Cain, Salvation Army Riverside Corps Officer. “It really allows us to find an employment option that will allow them to be successful.”

DANCE FROM PAGE 5 is something Kroc Center Corps Officer Major Osei Stewart has noticed, too.

“Kroc Dance Academy (KDA) is one of the many flagship programs that bring families together. Each week, when the kids come together to practice and learn, our courtyard is filled with waiting parents who have now become lifelong friends—a community is being developed right in our courtyard,” said Stewart.

“It is a wonderful sight to see the young ladies rehearsing each week

Employee

Since the program’s start in 2018, city beautification work has expanded. The program is now funded through the City of Moreno Valley’s general budget. Now, Homeless to Work crews are free to clean up sites throughout the city without restrictions that were previously in place, impacting sites like parks, city entryways and local business storefronts.

“We were kind of restricted on the areas of the city that we could clean because it was Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding that had a map that’s associated with it and it was only cityowned parcels of land…We could clean one lot, but right across the street, it’d be really messy and that wasn’t funded,” said Cain. “But the city said, ‘We love the program so much and it’s been so successful that we are going to stop funding it through the CDBG funding,’ and they just fund us now out of the general budget.”

Fredborg said it’s easier to find places to take the crew to work now.

“I live in Moreno Valley, so even when I’m out shopping with my wife, if I see a street that needs some attention, we can pick and choose,” Fredborg said. “Now that the whole city’s opened up, we get a lot more work done. Most of the people on the crew haven’t worked in a while, and they really enjoy working and at the end of the day seeing the areas that they cleaned up.”

The city was so impressed by the Homeless to Work Program that in September 2022, it arranged a meeting with U.S. Congressman Mark Takano to provide a presentation on the program and its success in the community.

After the meeting, Takano awarded The Salvation Army $2 million in funding secured through the Fiscal Year 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Bill— signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2022. Of the funds, $1 million was for the Homeless to Work Program and the other $1 million was for the Moreno Valley Emergency Shelter/Rapid Rehousing Program, which supports Homeless to Work Pro- knowing their hard work makes them the champions they are. KDA is building teamwork, confidence, perseverance and endurance in these young people which will help build their character and take them well into life.” gram participants as needed. Both programs are operated by The Salvation Army Riverside Corps.

It’s that endurance that helps the dancers through their Friday evening class, moving through different routines as Hardt pushes them to be their best, calling out modifications that need to be made in a lighthearted way.

“We are ooey-gooey pizza not Burger King,” Hardt said, comparing the need to lengthen their leg and arm movements to stretchy cheese.

“[The funding] is a clear example that The Salvation Army has proven itself to be a legitimate solution to addressing homelessness,” Cain said. “We are grateful for the funds.”

And the funding comes at a time when it’s needed most in the community.

“Homelessness in our region continues to rise,” Cain said. “There’s frustration at a lack of real solutions… The program is a healthy approach that addresses the deeper needs of the person before shoveling resources at them.”

While the corps is still waiting on the contractual specifics of how they can spend the money, they have dreams for what the funding could mean for the Homeless to Work Program.

“We’d love to see multiple crews—more than just the one crew. We’d love to offer people more hours than we’re offering,” Cain said. We’d love to double down on case management because that’s a huge component… We have a very clear vision of where we want to be.”

But today, Cain and Fredborg are just happy to see that the Homeless to Work Program continues to leave a lasting impact on the lives of its participants.

“I have people who just call me up or stop by my food pantry in their cars that they have bought a year later after leaving the program,” Fredborg said. “It absolutely changes lives and the percentage of people years down the road, they’re living in their apartments, paying their bills…It’s absolutely amazing.”

Cain said that there are even some participants who are soldiers at the Riverside Corps now, including Murry.

“They’re part of our church family now,” Cain said. And for Fredborg, all of this makes the work even more rewarding.

“It’s absolutely amazing that The Salvation Army and the City of Moreno Valley allow me to do this work,” Fredborg said. “The lives we get to save through this program are invaluable.” NFC

When it’s time to rehearse a lyrical dance Richard choreographed to Sia’s “Snowman,” it is a welcome reprieve. Cheers erupt from around the room.

Like many in the class, Richard is connected to the military; her husband is in the Navy. The often transient lifestyle is a reality they share.

“These kids are my kids,” she said. “I love them so much. It’s going to kill me to potentially leave them.”

But for now, she said, KDA is home for both her and the students. Most of the upper level students will be back tomorrow to dance during the weekend. It is a lifestyle, after all. NFC

LARSON FROM PAGE 4 had to close our doors, causing many families to go without daily essentials, causing the homeless population to be without the regular hot meals, personal hygiene supplies, clothing and blankets for their basic needs,” Stewart said.

“Without Ms. Larson’s gift, the families of those communities would not have had access to our food pantry, which fed countless many, and our rent and utility assistance, that helped during the toughest of times of the pandemic.”

FROM PAGE 6

Therapist, upon the completion of his internship,” said Mandy Porter-Griffith, Phoenix Family Services Director.

Ramirez didn’t hesitate to accept the offer.

At the shelter, up to 24 families are housed for up to 120 days. Residents have access to free meals, medical care and counseling services. As part of the program, Ramirez and his peers strive to help adults build life skills by teaching parenting and budgeting classes. They also help residents to find employment by providing job training as well as classes on resume writing, interview skills and more.

“Their goal is to work toward getting a job while they are there,” Ramirez said. “We reinforce [housing] is only going to last four months. We want them to establish an income that can support them once they leave the shelter.”

As the recreational therapist at the Mike Michaels Activity Center, he works hard to give families outlets that help take their minds off the crisis they are experiencing. Using sports like dodgeball, kickball and volleyball as well as expressive art therapy, Ramirez strives to provide adults and children alike a break from their burdens.

“I call it the safe zone, the decompression zone. Kids can be kids and play and have fun. I allow them to disconnect from their reality for a bit and just be a family,” he said.

“Jose is a blessing to our program and to the people we serve. Because of his hard work, families experiencing homelessness have a safe and fun environment to play, connect and move toward stability,” Porter-Griffith said.

It’s clear to Porter-Griffith and Ramirez’s colleagues that Ramirez cares deeply for those around him.

“Jose goes above and beyond to help those in need,” she said. “His trauma-informed approach to working with families experiencing homelessness breaks down barriers and opens people up to change. Jose is the definition of a servant-leader. He leads by example and shows clients compassion while holding them to expectations and motivating them to better themselves.”

Along with coordinating classes, Ramirez helps people find jobs, performs behavioral health evaluations (and connects individuals to counselors) and completes crisis interventions for people who might show up in the lobby. While his title doesn’t encompass all that he does, it’s clear he isn’t interested in getting credit—he just aims to help others just as he was helped nearly four decades ago.

“I think that’s how God had it planned out and I’m glad,” he said. “Coming from the military, I never imagined myself ending up here. I thought I’d be at the VA or working with law enforcement but really, I’m right where I need to be.” NFC

All of Larson’s philanthropy throughout her lifetime stemmed from who she was, Smith said.

“If, in your heart, you love something and want to do something good, you’re going to do it. And that’s what she did. This is from her heart…wanting to leave a legacy, caring for others,” he said.

“We were one of the organizations in which she chose to invest her legacy…saying, ‘I want to leave something good. I want the world to be a better place because I was here.’ And that’s why she did it. Not because we asked her to.” NFC

New Appointments

TRANSFERRING OUT OF TERRITORY

Majors Joel and Rhonda Harmon

Transferring to the Central Territory—Effective: Feb. 6

Retirements

Major Scott Ramsey—February 2023 Mesa (Arizona) Citadel Corps ing that client choice is valuable and that exercising that choice is likely to make a client more successful in remaining housed and improving their life,” according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Baluyot said it’s because of these strategies that the center has the highest permanent or stable housing outcomes in the Denver metro area for family shelters. By providing “the highest quality of services” and “the greatest amount of dignity” for families experiencing homelessness, Baluyot said people in their care feel empowered to change their lives.

Prior to the pandemic, 96 percent of families who entered the program exited to permanent housing within 90 days, Baluyot said, noting how additional employment and life skills resources help clients find fixed incomes often needed to apply for housing.

“Our ultimate goal is to end people’s homelessness with whatever means it takes,” she added.

Funding will also help support The Connection Center, a case manager-staffed call and referral center, by expanding it to 24-hour accessibility and increasing financial assistance offered through the short-term rent-