The Salvation Army at Alexandria Citadel corps is helping people meet their basic needs – and turn their lives around. Nowhere is this more evident than at Cornerstone, Alexandria’s Transitional Housing program. Cornerstone isn’t just a bed, it’s a foundation for change. The program specifically targets women suffering from chronic job and home loss and helps them break the cycle of poverty through case management, career training, life skills and spiritual support. To graduate, clients must be employed and working on a career plan to self-sufficiency. Since the program was launched, dozens of women have graduated and are on the road to a better life.
The help doesn’t stop there. The Alexandria Corps is a community effort. A dozen skilled music teachers volunteer their time through the Alexandria School for the Performing Arts (ASPA) to tutor kids in guitar, piano, and percussion among others. Donations to The Salvation Army make it affordable for parents to enroll their child and each session ends with a recital so students can share their talent with the community. The program is a great opportunity to help kids find their passion and build the confidence and experience they need to let their own lives sing.
Year-round support is also on hand for those times of crisis – utility and rental assistance for families facing eviction; donations of food and gift baskets during the holidays; youth programs for kids; and at the core of it all, weekly church services, bible study and Sunday school to nourish the spiritual needs of all who enter these doors.
Walanda has her hands full with a steady job and studying for her G.E.D. But the 34-year-old wouldn’t have it any other way. A year ago, she was jobless, homeless and struggling with substance abuse. Then Walanda discovered Cornerstone, Alexandria’s Transitional Housing program.
