HOPE AFTER THE STORM by Robert Mitchell
S
uperstorm Sandy didn’t last for 40 days and nights as did the Great Flood in the days of Noah, but Andrea Kassimatis and her family felt the devastating effects of Sandy for many years. Andrea says her Union Beach, N.J., family went through some “dark days” after the October 2012 storm, but finding The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope (POH) program in 2017 helped turn things around. She now feels and displays an “attitude of gratitude.” “The Salvation Army was our guiding light and our guiding force through this whole process. It was like Noah’s Ark through the storm,” Andrea says. “People underappreciate what The Salvation Army means to local communities. I don’t think people understand how important and vital The Salvation Army is to the community. “Over the past seven years, The Salvation Army has been there for my family and throughout the many seasons. They have been able to provide services to us that have covered all aspects of our physical recovery process, as well as the internal healing that was needed
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MARCH / APRIL 2020
