St. Louis – The Alton Salvation Army announces the kick-off of their “Adopt-A-Bed” program, a donation and sponsorship program aimed to help The Salvation Army continue to provide services to individuals and families in the Alton area. Through the Booth House and its affiliated programs, The Salvation Army is working to break the cycle of homelessness, by helping clients become stable and self-sufficient.
Adopt-A-Bed sponsorships are available at a variety of levels, and support the Alton Booth House, which serves an average of 300 individuals each year. The goal for the Adopt-A-Bed campaign is to raise $120,000 for the Alton Booth House.
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A January 2011 report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimated that there were 14,055 homeless individuals living in the state of Illinois. Causes for homelessness include mental illness, substance abuse and domestic violence, among others. The Salvation Army’s Booth House provides its residents with access to a variety of resources designed to help them cope with these issues, including health care, education, rehabilitation, counseling and vocational services.
The program at the Alton shelter helps people like Tracie and Robbie. Out of money but reluctant to seek charity, Tracie and her son Robbie found themselves living in a car after Tracie lost her job. A friend referred her to The Salvation Army, and the Alton location helped her find shelter in a hotel until space became available in The Booth House. Tracie and Robbie entered the program in May, and were provided with a private room, regular meals, structure and resources to help them start over. Tracie has been working since her entry into the program
and has saved enough money that she is in the process of transitioning into her own apartment.
Tracie and Robbie are one story of thousands that have walked out of the doors of The Alton Booth House better for their time spent with The Salvation Army. Those wishing to support the work of The Salvation Army’s Booth House in Alton should contact Captain Randy Tooley at (618) 465-7764 or at Randy_Tooley@usc.salvationarmy.org.
The Salvation Army is an international organization that has been doing the most good in the St. Louis region for 129 years. The Salvation Army serves community members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year through emergency disaster services and dozens of different programs that are designed to help people attain, or regain, self-sufficiency. For more information, please call 314.646.3000 or visit www.stl-salvationarmy.org.
