Young, passionate and energetic, Lieutenants Matthew and Kaylie Darrow were appointed to Huron, S.D., as corps officers in 2018, their first appointment as a married couple. The newlyweds were challenged and inspired by the great needs they saw and started searching for ways for The Salvation Army to increase its programs and services to the community.
“I see God challenging us, both officers and soldiers, to make this corps a beacon of hope in the community,” said Lt. Matthew. “We entered this appointment with few resources available to us. Like in the parable of the talents, God is blessing us tenfold as we strive to be faithful with the resources we have.”
As the lieutenants have begun to build relationships with key people and organizations, The Salvation Army has become recognized as a valuable resource. For instance, a community collaboration team approached the Darrows to provide a warming center during the record-breaking low temperatures this past winter. Without hesitation, the lieutenants prepared the corps for overnight use and contacted the local radio and police stations to get the word out to people in the area.
The lieutenants are in the process of hiring a fulltime caseworker to implement and manage Pathway of Hope, an initiative that is enthusiastically supported by the community collaboration team and will greatly increase their services to the people of Huron.
“If the need is there, we want to provide what we can for the community,” Lt. Matthew concluded. The Corps currently has a wide variety of ministries including a vital weekday lunchtime feeding program, food pantry and clothing vouchers for their thrift store.
Weekly programs at the corps include adult Bible study, men’s, women’s and youth programs, as well as a new Zumba exercise hour that’s evolved from a women’s ministries group into an open activity for anyone to enjoy.
The corps is already experiencing growth in program attendance, and they are hopeful the upward trend will continue as they shine their light in Huron.
