When Brianna walked into the Oshkosh, Wis., Corps last year, she was seven months pregnant and in search of resources for her growing family. Caseworkers attended first to her immediate needs, including providing food and hygiene items. Feeling welcomed by not only the caseworker and corps officers but the receptionist, kitchen staff and volunteer coordinator, Brianna recognized the corps as a place where she could find support and enrolled in Pathway of Hope (POH).
Brianna set goals to renew her driver’s license and pay fines to have it reinstated, purchase and insure a vehicle, obtain reliable childcare once her twins were born, and complete credit counseling and budgeting to ensure housing security. She utilized community resources offered by her caseworker which helped her purchase car seats, clothing, diapers and other necessities for her babies in addition to providing assistance for rent, car maintenance and insurance as she worked toward stabilizing her life. The corps’ all-hands-on-deck approach encouraged Brianna to develop relationships with the staff and allowed her to engage them in problem solving to reach her goals. For instance, she bounced parenting issues and ideas off parents on the staff, like which foods to try as her twins grew
or what to do about a hectic sleeping schedule.
Although POH at the Oshkosh Corps is Brianna’s most recent encounter, Brianna first came into contact with The Salvation Army in Milwaukee when she aged out of the foster care system with no possessions and nowhere to go. She had lost her mother to suicide at age 10 and was unable to live with her father due to his failure to complete court-ordered conditions to obtain placement. When she reached out to The Salvation Army in Milwaukee, they helped her acquire independent housing and food; they also taught her about God’s love and the importance of community, which led her back to The Salvation Army when she found herself again in need. Throughout her POH journey, Brianna paid it forward to other families when she was able, passing along gently used clothing and baby items. She completed Pathway of Hope in June. With a job lined up, she moved to another state to be closer to her father so her children can grow up having a close relationship with a grandparent.
