Rogers Family Donation Helps The Salvation Army Ministry of Sault St. Marie Expand its Services

The Salvation Army Ministry of Sault St. Marie was the proud recipient of a generous donation from the Rogers Family of $18,450 to help provide essential supports and services to the community’s most vulnerable.

“We are extremely grateful for this grant from the Rogers Family because it provided us with the resources we needed to reach out into the community, identify needs and then quickly create critical programming to help Sault St. Marie’s vulnerable population,” said Major Sean Furey.

Vulnerable seniors, individuals with mobility challenges, the homeless and other community members who are falling between the cracks all benefited from The Salvation Army’s services that were offered because of the Rogers Family grant.  

“Previously, we only had the financial resources to serve about 50-60 families per week,” said Major Furey. “As a result of this generous donation, we are providing more hope and expanding our services, and we are now serving warm meals to the homeless and underprivileged four days a week. During a busy week, we help nearly 800 individuals with our take-out meal program.

The Rogers Family funding also helped Major Furey purchase the take-out containers so the ministry could provide this essential service to those who rely on it. This grant also allowed The Salvation Army to provide healthier food options such as fruits, vegetables and dairy products.

“It is heart breaking to see everyone lined up at the door before we even open,” said Major Furey. “The need for our services here in Sault St. Marie is substantial, and we could not have provided the level of support we do now without this grant.”

The COVID-19 pandemic not only shined a spotlight on the daily obstacles the homeless endure, but also the community’s senior population.

“Early in the pandemic we discovered that hundreds of seniors in our city were going without food due to fear of going out, limited financial resources and failing health,” said Major Furey. “We created a mobile food bank which delivers food to seniors and persons with disabilities. On an average week we deliver 54 nutritious food hampers however, we are starting to see an increase in this service.”

Delivering life changing services and hope in Sault St. Marie continues to be a top priority, but without the assistance from the Rogers Family the outcomes may have been different.

“This financial support from the Rogers Family has been pivotal, especially during the pandemic,” said Major Furey. “We look forward to continuing this partnership because it changes lives for the better.”

By: Billy Canning