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| Maria Blanco, after school program teacher, works with students to help them through homework assignments every afternoon. |
It’s a sunny fall afternoon as Robert Spreague walks into The Salvation Army Farmington Hills Corps Community Center. Another hard day of work is done and he’s looking forward to the payoff that makes it all worthwhile. His eyes glance around the room of thirty or so school students working steadily on homework, reading books and catching up from the weekend. The group is lively… there are no wallflowers here. Everyone knows each other.
In an instant, his eyes lock up with the smiling faces of four children who run across the room to greet him with a spontaneous, one-word cheer, “Daddy!” It’s a ritual that repeats each time Bob stops in to pick up his kids from The Salvation Army’s after school program.
They embrace. He pats each one on the head and asks how they’re doing. The kids show off the projects they’ve been working on and start packing up to head home.
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| Captain Christian DiMaso, Farmington Hills corps officer, congratulates Robert Spreague on his new job as a welder. |
Robert Spreague and his wife have lived in the neighborhood near the Farmington Hills Corps for close to thirty years. During that time, life has seen its share of ups and downs. But Bob says nothing has been more difficult than the past three years. He was laid off in 2006 and was looking for work until just three months ago when he finally landed a welding job with a manufacturer in Ferndale.
“It’s hard work,” says Bob. “The heat can really get to you but I’m thankful for it. I’ve finally found a good employer and this is a great opportunity for me. Whatever it takes, I’m sticking with it.”
The Spreagues are typical of the families being served by Salvation Army centers across the region as Michigan’s economic struggle continues. Bob first contacted The Salvation Army for assistance with food and utilities shortly after being laid off.
He says he always knew The Salvation Army did good things but didn’t realize how much the organization offers to people in need. He shares, “At one point last winter, I came in with my utility bill because the balance was going higher and higher and I didn’t know what to do. But the social worker here helped us pay it and I was just blown away by their generosity.”
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The Salvation Army’s after school programs, like this one offered throuogh the Farmington Hills Corps Community Center, typically run Monday through Thursday from 3PM to 6PM and include tutoring, crafts, recreation and a meal. The programs are provided free of charge and serve as a powerful way to connect The Salvation Army’s ministries to families in neighborhoods across metropolitan Detroit. Additional youth programs include outdoor learning experiences, summer day camps, music instruction, sports leagues and much more.
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Bob recently passed a ninety-day review at his new job and feels like finances are starting to improve for his family. Still, there’s no room in the budget for ‘extras,’ so the after school program is a Godsend. His children attend here three or four afternoons each week. They tell him they love it. Similar programs in the community charge up to several hundred dollars per month per child. The Spreagues couldn’t afford that, but The Salvation Army’s program is provided free of charge.
Bob shares, “As a parent, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There are so many responsibilities and challenges, especially with the tough financial situation we’ve been in. Like all parents, I want to give my kids every chance I can to succeed.” He adds, “It’s great that this program is here to help us because we couldn’t do it on our own. The teachers and staff at The Salvation Army are so helpful to us… and I think what they do here makes our family stronger.”