Salvation Army Montgomery County Maryland assistance programs.
Low income Montgomery County residents may be able to receive social services and emergency assistance from the Salvation Army. Programs are either run directly by the non-profit organization, or they may be able to refer people too other local agencies or public assistance resources.
Emergency assistance may be available in limited quantities, as funding allows. Programs can provide for food, which will be mainly non perishable items. Rental assistance may be offered in order to prevent an eviction and the resulting homelessness. A voucher for furniture / clothing may be distributed and it can be used at The Salvation Army Thrift Store in Montgomery County. Utility bill assistance, for paying gas, heating and electric expenses, may be provided from January through May.
The social services office, which is where people need to go to apply, is open throughout the week for both emergency assistance and social services. See below for the address and phone number.
Washington Gas, the Salvation Army, and other non-profits work together on the Washington Area Fuel Fund, or WAFF. This utility/heating bill assistance program was created in the 1980s and it can assist those who are faced with a critical and/or life-threatening emergency situation. Studies have shown that a family’s inability to pay their energy and winter heating bills can lead to homelessness, and is second only to the inability to pay mortgage or rent as a reason for homelessness.
Every winter, many Montgomery County Maryland families struggle to pay their heating costs when considering the fact that they are faced with escalating rents, food, housing and water bills. Many low income and senior households may have to choose between buying food and paying their heating bills, and that is where the Salvation Army Washington Area Fuel Fund can help.
On average, about 2,000 families receive help from WAFF every year. The emergency assistance program can help them heat their homes throughout the cold Maryland winters, no matter what the source of the heating fuel is used.
The number of applications received every year for fuel assistance has increased, and the program does face constraints. Especially during this period of economic hardship when unemployment is high, incomes are lower from reduced job hours and health benefits; the demand for help is very high. A number of families and individuals in the Maryland area are being affected by the declining economy and need help. If you can contribute or donate, please do so.
Another resource is for housing. If someone is faced with imminent eviction, Montgomery County Maryland rental allowance program provides partial, emergency rental assistance to residents in need, based upon family unit and size.
Montgomery County Community Care Ministry Program provides companionship, support, referrals, information, and more. Hope and expression of companionship is one of the best traditions offered by the Salvation Army. This service truly reflects one of their main ideals of giving hearts to God and hands to man.
Volunteers across Montgomery County, including men, women and young people, spend time making personal visits and conducting services to cheer seniors, lonely and sick people across the region. They may visit patients in hospitals (including Veterans Administration Medical Center), the elderly in nursing homes and institutions, or others unable to care for themselves, such as disabled, shut-ins, and the blind. Community Care Ministry volunteer provide personal attention, companionship and often times the patient’s only link to the outside world.
During the holidays, including the Christmas Season, volunteers of the Community Care Ministry program deliver thousands of free meals and gifts to those who must spend their holidays confined to bed or far away from loved ones.
All Salvation Army programs and services in Maryland are based on funding as well as individual and community needs. The specifics will more than likely vary from location to location. For more information on specific assistance programs in your area, call or stop by. The main Montgomery County Corps location is at 20021 Aircraft Drive, Germantown, Maryland 20874, dial (301) 515-5354
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