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BY ALISHA SANDERS –
The Guam Corps recently celebrated the relocation and expansion of its Family Services Center. The celebration highlighted a partnership that has formed between The Salvation Army and the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority to meet the needs of the island’s less fortunate. GHURA has awarded the Guam Corps two grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that, among other things, will create a one-stop assistance center for the island’s homeless population.
The center will serve as the central hub of information for all the services available to homeless persons around the island. Eventually, the center will also serve as a way to track the island’s homeless population and will help area providers better identify and meet the needs of Guam’s homeless.
In addition, the center is expanding its services to help clients address the underlying issues that may be causing their social and economic difficulties. These efforts include developing short- and long-term plans with each client, conducting home visits, and the creation of a series of education and life-skill courses. “Our hope,” says Center Director Joy Groenleer, “is to help clients become more self-sufficient and improve the quality of their lives.”
Governor Carl Gutierrez was the keynote speaker at the event. Gutierrez expressed his gratitude for all The Salvation Army has done for Guam and his “hopes that we continue the partnerships that we have put together.”