Listen to this article
Southern California Division
From organizing monthly excursions for seniors to providing daily homework assistance for kids—and offering myriad programs for all ages in between—the Ventura, Calif., corps, is finding practical ways to do the most good in its community.
“The seniors, most of whom live in The Salvation Army Silvercrest Senior Residence, have weekly meetings at our church,” said Corps Officer Captain Lyn Thompson. “They have a weekly prayer meeting at the Silvercrest and a monthly excursion as well.” Recently, in conjunction with the corps, the 51 residents attended a dinner and show put on by the Ventura Downtown Rotary Club; a local ballet dance studio presented the show.
“Children are experiencing a sense of joy and accomplishment by participating in our Homework Assistance Club,” said Thompson. They meet daily—Monday through Thursday—for tutoring and help with their homework. When their work is done, they enjoy playing at the park across the street or organized board games in the multi-purpose room. “It has been exciting to receive reports from the school and see the progress they are making,” Thompson added. On Fridays they meet for Girl Guards, Sunbeams and Adventure Corps.
Their transitional living center, a 41-bed residential facility, had a ceremony recently as two of the families graduated to their own apartments—going from homeless, hopeless families to families that are now working, attending school and living independently.