Salvation Army of Decatur and Macon County
Project Name: Pathway of Hope
Project summary: The Pathway of Hope program provides individualized services to families who desire to take action to break the cycle of crisis. By helping families overcome challenges like unemployment, housing, and lack of education, we can lead families toward increased stability and self-sufficiency.
Amount Requested: $5,000
Website: https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/decatur/
Project statement of need: The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope (POH) initiative represents a transformative shift from merely addressing the symptoms of poverty to tackling its root causes. By helping families overcome barriers such as unemployment, unstable housing, and limited access to education, POH breaks the cycle of crisis and vulnerability—guiding families toward long-term stability. Pathway of Hope changes lives today and creates a lasting impact for generations to come.
What makes the POH program unique is its personalized, long-term support tailored to each participant’s circumstances. Recognizing that poverty is complex and that one-size-fits-all solutions often fall short, the program provides a comprehensive network of “wrap-around” services, including financial counseling, educational support, job training, childcare, and more. By addressing multiple challenges simultaneously, POH empowers families to build a sustainable future and escape intergenerational poverty.
In Macon County, 15.5% of residents live below the poverty line—higher than the national average of 12.5%. Among those most affected are women aged 18–44, along with 22.6% of children living in poverty. The Pathway of Hope program is designed to help these families find stability and a pathway out of poverty. While POH serves all families in need, the majority of participants are single mothers or dual-parent households striving for a better future.
Our goal is to identify families ready to make a change, provide them with long-term, individualized case management, and support them through to a successful program graduation—equipped with the tools they need to thrive.
Describe how this project aligns with your organization's mission and goals? As our mission states we aim to "meet human needs without discrimination." The Pathway of Hope is a wonderful example of this - we meet families where they are at and serve them without discrimination.
Age groups served: All ages
Gender served: All genders served
Number of females served: 70
Explanation of intent - existing program: The program began in 2013. Annually, the program has been serving an average of 25 families. In 2024, we served 21 families, 96% of the families were single mothers. Of those families, 65% of the families developed personal action plans and provided over 349 case management sessions. We helped families reduce their barriers to stability including shelter/housing (21%), Income (13%), and employment (23%).
The POH program is unique in that it offers long-term personalized support to participants, addressing their unique needs and circumstances. This approach recognizes that one-size-fits-all solutions often do not work in complex situations. The program offers an array of "wrap-around" services, including financial counseling, educational support, job training, childcare, and more. This comprehensive support system helps participants address multiple aspects of their lives that may be contributing to their poverty. The program is designed to help families and individuals break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. It offers a holistic approach to addressing the root causes of poverty, helping participants build a sustainable future.
Sustainability beyond grant period: Additional funding/funding sources allow us more opportunities to support the clients enrolled in the program with specific financial needs that help them on their journey to self-sufficiency and stability. We continually look for new funding opportunities to support this program as well as utilizing our annual fundraising efforts to support the program each year. Additional funding sources will allow us to offer consistent services to clients and to serve more families in need.
If you receive partial funding, how would the program be impacted? The program will still operate as normal, we would just have fewer funds available to help with client needs.
Project budget narrative:
Revenue -
Private Donations & Events - Revenue for this program comes from our annual fundraising efforts including mail appeals, online donations, and events (Red Kettle Campaign & Golf Outing.)
Salvation Army Internal Funding - Funds received from our Divisional and Territorial Headquarters to help operate the POH program.
In-Kind Donations - in-kind donations help to offset our expenses and meet the needs of clients. Items such as hygiene items, food, clothing, gift cards, bus cards, etc.
Expenses -
Salary - Pathway of Hope Case Manager
Client assistance (Rent, Utilities, Transportation) - Funds from this grant will mainly be used for client direct assistance. We utilize these funds specifically for families enrolled in POH to help them overcome barriers. Funds can be used to help with rent, utilities, transportation, clothes, medication, job training, etc.
Building Expenses & Supplies - A portion of Salvation Army's property and supplies costs.
Participant Incentives & Events - We have graduation parties when families complete the program. We also offer incentives like gift cards for those who complete the program.
