{"id":2902,"date":"2024-11-05T19:09:27","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T19:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/ontario\/finding-purpose-and-belonging-with-the-salvation-army\/"},"modified":"2025-05-26T11:27:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:27:16","slug":"finding-purpose-and-belonging-with-the-salvation-army","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/ontario\/2024\/11\/finding-purpose-and-belonging-with-the-salvation-army\/","title":{"rendered":"Purpose and Belonging with The Salvation Army"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ken is a shining example of how connection, community, and overcoming social isolation can transform lives, as the 62-year-old London resident has found a welcoming home within The Salvation Army&#8217;s Hillcrest Community Church.<\/p>\n<p>His journey with The Salvation Army began 14 years ago when he first attended Sunday services. At the time, he was shy and mostly kept to himself. Since then, Ken has embraced a range of programs offered by London Community Services that teach new skills and create opportunities to socialize.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMeeting new people and learning new things\u2014that\u2019s what I enjoy most,&#8221; Ken shares. &#8220;I\u2019ve made some friends here and there, and it\u2019s always nice to run into them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s participated in various programs, including cooking classes, floor hockey, and the garden club, where he\u2019s even learned to grow his own vegetables. Ken says he\u2019s &#8220;not much of a farmer&#8221; but his overflowing freezer tells a different story, and he often shares the garden\u2019s fresh produce with friends. Beyond the practical skills, the support from The Salvation Army has opened doors to lasting friendships and meaningful relationships.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most rewarding parts of Ken&#8217;s life is his involvement with The Salvation Army\u2019s Christmas Kettle campaign. He\u2019s volunteered for the last two years, greeting passersby with a smile and a heartfelt &#8216;Merry Christmas.&#8217; This role has not only allowed him to give back, but it has also become a rewarding and meaningful part of his life.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;A lot of people come up to me and share how The Salvation Army has helped them. It feels good to be part of something with such a good reputation,\u201d Ken says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Major Sterling Snelgrove, Hillcrest Community Church corps officer, has seen firsthand how Ken&#8217;s volunteer work has led to his personal growth.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Ken has come out of his shell,&#8221; Major Snelgrove says. &#8220;He\u2019s more confident, approachable, and willing to connect with others, whether shaking hands or chatting with those who visit the church. He\u2019s made incredible strides both socially and spiritually.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Ken recently took the important step of becoming a senior soldier, marking his commitment to The Salvation Army and its mission. His story is a quiet but powerful transformation, rooted in the sense of belonging, support, and service he has found with The Salvation Army at Hillcrest Community Church.<\/p>\n<p>Your support of The Salvation Army helps ensure people like Ken can continue to access life-changing programs and services. Give hope today at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.salvationarmy.ca\">www.salvationarmy.ca<\/a> or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Ken is a shining example of how connection, community, and overcoming social isolation can transform lives, as the 62-year-old London resident has found a welcoming home within The Salvation Army&#8217;s Hillcrest Community Church. His journey with The Salvation Army began 14 years ago when he first attended Sunday services. At the time, he was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2903,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-2902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hope-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Purpose and Belonging with The Salvation Army - The Salvation Army Ontario<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/salvationarmy.ca\/ontario\/2024\/11\/finding-purpose-and-belonging-with-the-salvation-army\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Purpose and Belonging with The Salvation Army - The Salvation Army Ontario\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; Ken is a shining example of how connection, community, and overcoming social isolation can transform lives, as the 62-year-old London resident has found a welcoming home within The Salvation Army&#8217;s Hillcrest Community Church. 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