Ever since 2017, the Salvation Army has been an active member of the Pottstown community. The Salvation Army is a charitable and religious organization preaching the gospel of Jesus while meeting the physical needs of people without discrimination. Their services include Emergency food and shelter, homeless shelters for families, food pantries, summer camps for kids, youth groups, and health and wellness referrals.
Additionally, there are many other charitable organizations that work side by side with the Salvation Army in hopes of improving the living conditions of the Pottstown community. One such organization is Hill’s own Hobart’s Run. Hobart’s Run provides opportunities for Hill students to be involved with the local community. Some of the major programs for Hobart’s Run include home ownership incentives and free community classes, such as martial arts classes.
“A lot of our programs are supposed to help people do better in life,” Hobart’s Run board member Noorie Dhingra ‘21 said. “Hobart’s Run has a lot of homeownership incentive and the Salvation Army tries to help people get a job locally. There are a lot of things that go side by side. In the end, everything comes down to the betterment of the Pottstown community.”
One of the major programs of the local Salvation Army chapter, Pottstown Works, has helped people in the Pottstown community overcome barriers to working and helps bring people out of poverty. The organization helps people gain full-time employment and achieve economic stability. After a job placement, the organization follows employees for one year, their ongoing support is to help employees overcome tough work situations. Pottstown Works’s utilization of the Cincinnati Works curriculum and model guarantees a 70% retention rate of employment beyond one year.
Ever since the inception of Pottstown Works, 28 people have graduated from job workshops, with an average starting wage of $12.50 an hour. Fourteen have been hired into local Pottstown businesses. Additionally, 33 people, including 17 children, were supported to avoid their risk of becoming homeless.
“As a member of the Student Philanthropy Council, I’ve had the opportunity to see the effects of the Pottstown Works program of the Salvation Army head on,” Taylor Owens ’20 said. “I visited the Salvation Army and saw where the classes are, how they’re being conducted, and became one of the certified instructors. The program focuses on teaching the necessary skills to get and maintain a career.”
“A program that follows up with the people it supports is incredibly impactful for those people, but also for the Pottstown community as a whole,” Owens said.
