TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

A Spare Bed At Salvation Army Is A Rare Sight

News Channel 8 photo by JIM HOCKETT

The Salvation Army has created a comfortable common area in its family lodge.

ADVERTISEMENT

By JACKIE BARRON

News Channel 8

Published: March 11, 2009

BRADENTON - The increasing number of homeless families knocking on the door of Manatee County's Salvation Army Family Lodge worries Maj. Robert Pfeiffer.

He said that last week it had to turn away 29 families, women and children, because of a lack of space.

"We are facing an unprecedented crisis that I haven't seen in my 44 years as an officer," Pfeiffer said.

He points to the numbers.

During the fourth quarter of last year 385 people came to the lodge for help, 210 of them children. Pfeiffer said the Manatee Salvation Army has the ability to serve only 55.

Jeanette Krajewski considers herself one of the lucky ones.

The mother of three has landed a room not once but twice while trying to rebuild her life after layoffs.

"I can tell you right now I have nowhere to go," she said.

The college graduate with a degree in accounting said she used to work as a payroll manager making about $60,000 a year.

Krajewski said she looks for work every day, even dropping off an application at McDonald's, where she said, "The manager told me he has people with master's degrees trying to find jobs."

Without the Salvation Army, Krajewski said, she would be forced to live in her car or sleep on the streets.

But Pfeiffer said now the economy threatens to shut down the very services giving families a second chance. The Manatee chapter is asking for financial donations and searching for a sister agency to partner in the Family Lodge program in order to meet the growing need.

Currently, the Manatee chapter faces a $100,000 deficit after months of trying to help more with less.

"And we did it and now there's no money," Pfeiffer said.

Reporter Jackie Barron can be reached at (813) 221-5708.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT