The Citadel Worship and Service Center is one of seven Twin Cities locations through which The Salvation Army serves hundreds of individuals and families each week.
Josh Polanco, Captain with The Salvation Army, appreciated “an opportunity that a lot of these kids would not get.”
“To have it right here in their neighborhood is really important because this is important to them. The Vikings coming here really makes a big impact on their lives,” Polanco said. “This is one of our busiest centers here in St. Paul. … There’s a lot of need in the community. We serve a lot of homeless families and people looking for a hand up.”
Relief efforts by The Salvation Army include food shelves, rent and/or utility assistance and the Pathway of Hope program that is proving effective in helping families emerge from difficult situations.
“The best part about The Salvation Army is there’s resources for everyone, no matter what their situation is,” Jasmine said. “Food shelf, summer programs, we did the coat program, school supplies and backpacks, Pathways of Hope for people coming out of domestic violence.”
Cousins noted The Salvation Army has “so much respect across the whole country.”
“This is just a small sample of the work they do to uplift people and help them to a better life, so it’s fun to use the platform as a pro football player to come alongside them and the community and hopefully put a smile on people’s faces,” Cousins said.
Polanco explained how philanthropic organizations are still facing as many or more challenges in providing relief on the other side of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. There are multiple opportunities for people to join The Salvation Army’s mission through food or toy donations, or by volunteering.
“A lot of people believe because the pandemic is gone, the need must be gone, but actually it’s not,” Polanco said. “We stayed at the same level or even more consistently even now. We need more assistance when it comes to volunteering at our food shelves. We need donations of food and monetary donations so we can keep our food shelves stocked. The need is great.
“Inflation is high, so a lot of the families are making decisions between putting food on the table and paying their rent and utilities,” Polanco added. “This is why it’s important to keep these centers fully stocked, fully resourced with volunteers, monetary donations and food support.”