JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For years, The Salvation Army has been a lifeline in Jacksonville, serving hundreds of people facing hard times.
Now, the organization needs help itself and is turning to the community for support.
The Salvation Army is trying to raise $1 million to keep providing services. If it doesn’t reach its goal, services could be cut, like the one that helped Corey Cooper escape homelessness.
Cooper, now the lead cook at The Salvation Army, moves with precision and passion in the kitchen.
“I don’t never work. I do what I love, so it’s not ever work. I love cooking. I love feeding people. I love communicating with people. I love the ambiance and the environment,” Cooper said.
But life wasn’t always this way for Cooper. Before living and working at The Salvation Army, Cooper was experiencing homelessness.
He said his life has changed dramatically because of The Salvation Army.
“It’s been a blessing, truly a blessing,” Cooper said.
But the program that helped Cooper rebuild his life could be at risk.
Area Commander Maj. Keath Biggers says donations have dropped, and The Salvation Army locally has burned through its emergency reserves.
“We’ve hit on some hard times financially. The last couple of years, we’ve had to eat into our emergency reserves that we fortunately had stored up,” Biggers said.
The food services program—which provides two free meals a day to anyone in need, no questions asked—could be on the chopping block.
So, they’re asking the community to step up and lend a helping hand.
“Our board made the decision to launch a Hope and Action campaign to hopefully raise $1 million to help us through this calendar year to make sure that no one that comes to our doors are told, ‘Sorry, we are no longer providing that service,’” Biggers explained.
The Salvation Army is accepting monetary donations.
You can give by calling 904-301-4852 or 904-301-4867, visiting 800 W. Monroe St. in person or going to give.salvationarmyflorida.org.
