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ASHLAND The Salvation Army of Northeast Kentucky is facing challenges housing neighbors and providing essential emergency services to community members most vulnerable, according to Major Jason Swain.
“We are housing 30 to 40 people experiencing homelessness every night in our emergency shelter who have nowhere to go, and our shelter stays at capacity most nights,” Swain said. “We are serving meals on the weekends for 50 additional people who are food insecure, and our case manager is receiving a record number of requests for utility and rental assistance where community members are looking to preserve their current stability in housing and are turning to the Salvation Army as a last resort. These services could be cutback when the needs remain high in the community.”
The combination of increased living expenses, economic concerns and the extreme cold at the end of the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle season last Christmas has left the organization with less financial resources when the community needs are higher, Swain said.
“At the same time, we are witnessing all community groups needing to cut costs and preserve resources. For our at-risk neighbors this means increased expenses including higher rent costs, lack of transportation, lower affordable housing inventory, higher food costs, increased energy expenses and limited access to important community services like mental health interventions and intense case management to transition people experiencing homelessness to self-sufficiency,” Swain said. “In addition, those who typically support the Salvation Army are also conserving their resources and making tough choices about investing.”
While a drop in donations isn’t uncommon during summer, higher living expenses has cut into families’ charitable donations. Swain said the nonprofit needs $60,000 to get through the next few months and continue providing essential services at the same increased rate.
Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 1405, Ashland, KY 41105 or dropped off at 2212 Carter Ave., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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