Pathway of Hope Impact Report 2019 by The Salvation Army

PATHWAY

IMPACT REPORT 2019

HOPE

Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

WHAT IS PATHWAY OF HOPE? In Canada alone, 1 out of 7 people live in poverty. Many people face a cycle of poverty where they move from crisis to crisis and remain vulnerable. While there are countless contributors to this problem, there are few solutions and far fewer which involve the holistic well-being of each individual. Pathway of Hope, a territorial initiative, provides intensive case management to individuals and families who have a desire to take action to break the cycle of crisis while intentionally surrounding the family with spiritual care for access to spiritual growth and development. This initiative builds and transforms the community while bringing increased stability and increased hope.

Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

CHANGING LIFE TRAJECTORIES To break the cycle of poverty we partner with individuals and families to develop a customized plan and take action to address root-cause issues and barriers. Increasing stability is only possible through effective use of corps in partnership with other community agencies and stakeholders. The most significant barriers to the Pathway of Hope participants at intake are as follows:

Employment

Income

Housing

Food

Childcare

GOALS Through Pathway of Hope, goals have been set by participants to make positive change happen in their lives. These are the top five goals that were set, with the percentage of goals that were successfully achieved.

1 2 3 4 5

Employment - 34.8% Education - 42.9% Housing - 43.3% Financial Stability - 33.3% Health Care - 25%

58.5%

of the goals set in Pathway of Hope have ended in successful

achievement

in an average of

4 months

200+

goals have been set through Pathway of Hope since 2016

Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

THE ROAD BACK TO HOPE by Kristin Ostensen

“Did I make the right decision? Or was coming to Canada a mistake?” Lola Agosu struggled to shake the doubts and questions that were crowding her mind. It had been months since she and her five children left their home in Nigeria, and the immigration process had stalled. Even working two part-time jobs, Agosu found it hard to provide for her family. Nothing seemend to be going their way. “I was beginning to lose faith, wondering why God wasn’t answering prayer,” Agosu recalls. “I was starting to feel like God didn’t love me anymore.” What she needed, more than anything, was hope. The Right Fit Agosu and her children - aged six to 24 arrived in Canada in December 2017, settling in Toronto soon after. It was a difficult decision to leave her husband and their life behind, but a necessary one in order to protect their children, who were facing threats and attacks. “We needed to get them out of there and go somewhere safe,” she says. After moving to Toronto, Agosu and her children initially lived in a shelter for refugees downtown, before finding accommodations in North York, near The Salvation Army’s Yorkminster Citadel. While they had a roof over their heads, there was little under it, and that was where the Army stepped in.

“Many families who come to us from the shelter start with nothing,” explains Liz Colley, community and family services manager at Yorkminster. “They don’t get any financial support for beds, furniture or anything like that.” “When I came to the Army in June 2018, Liz did her best to get us everything we needed,” says Agosu. “We received vouchers for clothing, shoes - even bedding and other household items.” As Agosu and Colley spoke, it became clear that Agosu needed more than just material assistance. “As we got talking, I mentioned that I was trying to find a church to go to and Liz said, ‘There’s actually a church right here and we’d love to see you,’ ” Agosu recalls. “I didn’t know that! I started attending and this was where I wanted to stay - The Salvation Army fit well.”

I was happy having somebody else thinking for me and about me; I wasn’t thinking alone.

Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

Hope Again

Ready to Help

A few months after Agosu came to the Army, the corps decided to implement the Canada and Bermuda Territory’s new Pathway of Hope initiative.

With her practical needs taken care of, Agosu’s third goal concerned her spiritual life.

“At that point, I had a number of challenges in my life and it was difficult for me to find solutions, so I really needed a program like that because I didn’t know if I was doing anything right anymore,” Agosu says. “When Liz told me about Pathway of Hope, I was happy to join.” The Agosus were one of the first families to do Pathway of Hope at Yorkminster, working with caseworker William Jin. “I met William and he was very good, always sending me links and information, discussing things with me, following up and updating me,” Agosu says. “I was happy having somebody else thinking for me and about me; I wasn’t thinking alone.” Agosu’s primary goal involved finding new accommodation. “Her apartment was in need of repair and she was not getting support from the landlord,” Colley explains. “This was something that my husband used to handle at home,“ Agosu says. “So it was a big relief to have a counsellor guide me and help me make a decision.” Her second goal was to go back to school and complete a personal support worker program so she could get a better job and earn more income for her family. However, because she was working part time - at a shelter downtown, as well as driving for Uber - Agosu feared that she wouldn’t be able to fit school into her schedule. “But William encouraged me to talk to my supervisor and they gave me a more flexible schedule and I was able to go to school,” she notes. “I started having hope again. William showed me that I can do some things myself.”

“I was sad, finding myself in a situation that was not fair,” she remembers. “I was beginning to question a lot of things.” With support from the Yorkminster community and corps officer, Major Pauline Gruer-Caulfield, the despair that nearly overwhelmed Agosu began to disappear. “The love and the warmth I’ve felt here is something different from where I’m coming from. At The Salvation Army, you see the expression of what Jesus would have done,” says Agosu. As time went on, Agosu’s faith was renewed. “I don’t have a lot of things here in Canada, but I have other things I can be grateful for,” she says. “I started to remember what God has done before and this gave me confidence that He’s able to do more than that again.” Since they started attending Yorkminster, Agosu’s children have joined the band, singing company and timbrel brigade, and her oldest daughter helps with Sunday school, while Agosu has joined a small group. One of her sons was enrolled as a junior soldier last year, and Agosu and two of her daughters have completed senior soldier preparation classes. For Agosu, what makes the Army unique compared to other churches she has been to is the love that she and her children have experienced. “I cannot express how much I appreciate it,” she says. “It’s easy for me to tell my friends, ‘Come and try The Salvation Army.’ They don’t want to know if you’re black or white, they don’t want to know about your background; they are here and ready to help.”

Agosu graduated from the program in January.

Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

HOPE GROWS

Trained Ministry Units across Canada and

5 Trained Divisions 4 Active Divisions

u rm e B

Greater Toronto Area

160+

Households served; 375+ Individuals, 210+ of whom are children

*Statistics based on data collected as of December 2019

Ongoing training and education sessions offered to ministry units

Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

Pathway of Hope was introduced to Canada and Bermuda in 2016 and has continued to show growth and success across the territory. From 2018 to 2019, the number of enrolled participants has increased by 145%

162

participants

2016

2017

participants

2018

2019

# of trained ministry units

# of graduates from Pathway of Hope

Pathway of Hope Covering New Grounds Ontario Central-East and Ontario Great Lakes Divisions In August and October 2019, Pathway of Hope hosted 2-day onboarding training for ministry units who were committed to implementing Pathway of Hope - covering best practices while getting some hands-on experience through role play as they prepared to support participants. Seven ministry units were included as well as a partnership church which brought a total of 23 individuals. This new initiative gives us the opportunity to work alongside individuals and families who want to make a change in their life situation. The team approach helps us identify goals and reduce barriers by offering our support and connecting people in need to resources in the community. - Windsor Pathway of Hope

Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

HOPE AND STABILITY Graduate of Hope Edmonton Centre of Hope Michael Pepin came to the Edmonton Centre of Hope after losing his full-time employment and needing one-on-one support. He had goals of education, volunteering and employment. Currently Michael has completed several training sessions to update his employment skill set and has been volunteering regularly with the Salvation Army community meals on Friday mornings. Michael has also been able to apply for a variety of employment opportunities and has since successfully graduated from Pathway of Hope.

A Helping Hand in Difficult Times Hamilton Community and Family Services In January 2019, Marion and her three children joined Pathway of Hope in Hamilton, Ontario. While seeing progress on her goals, Marion sustained a stroke which put her in the hospital for several months. During this time, the Pathway of Hope caseworkers and spiritual care providers were able to provide her emotional and spiritual support which helped keep Marion positive and upbeat throughout her recovery. The visits from staff provided a link to a support network and community resources as she regained strength and was able to reach another goal of having her children engaged in helping out at home. The family has become increasingly stable and Marion credits much of her success to the support she received from the Pathway of Hope team.

Through working with participants to eliminate barriers and reach their goals, their stability has increased dramatically. %

82.5

of participants experienced increased STABILITY within an average of 7 months

Hope gives us confidence that there is a positive future ahead and it is an essential component of the Pathway of Hope approach.

73.8%

of participants experienced increased HOPE

Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

SPIRITUAL OUTCOMES 59.5%

75.7%

participants agree or strongly agree that their faith or spiritual beliefs have increased while participating in Pathway of Hope

participants agree or strongly agree that they have made a connection to a faith or spiritual community

participants agree or strongly agree that their faith or spiritual beliefs help them during difficult times

VISION FOR 2020

Launching online learning platform to support skill development for caseworkers

All divisions trained and receiving participants across the territory

250 participants served by December 2021

The goal is to strengthen communities by responding holistically to the needs of the people we support and it is built on the foundations of CARE, COMMUNITY, CHANGE and HOPE. Pathway of Hope- IMPACT REPORT

Pathway

Hope

Integrated Mission Department The Salvation Army Canada and Bermuda Territory www.pathwayofhope.ca www.SAintegratedmission.ca