FEATURED AGENCY OF THE WEEK: The Railway Family Center

Railway Family Center is not another place to go play basketball on a Thursday night. This Center set out to meet a need in the Coleman community and now provides before and after school care, youth and adult athletic programs, preschool, a family assistance pantry, fitness classes and a fitness center. Executive Director, Katie VanDuinen, states “We provide services in a rural community which often means that our families have a higher number of risk factors such as lack of transportation, challenges accessing services, a higher poverty level, parents with lower levels of education, etc.” In order assist community members in these areas the Railway Family Center has built trust in the surrounding area and proved to be a source for educational and encouraging mental and physical enrichment. One specific example is the partnership that the Railway Family Center has with The Diaper Alliance. This partnership allows the Railway Family Center to diaper individuals of all age ranges, within a certain income level, without the clients having to travel all the way to Midland.

“When my husband got laid off, right after I gave birth to our second child, we had a hard time making ends meet. I called 211 to ask for help with diapering my new baby. I was referred to the Railway Family Center to ask for help. This was the first time that we have ever needed any kind of assistance. I went to Railway to ask about diapers and they were able to provide me with the help we needed. Being able to get support with diapers is a great thing to offer everyone. We are truly grateful that The Diaper Alliance exists, and is offered in our area.” –Railway Family Center client

If you would like to become a member of the Railway Family Center, please visit their website or contact them at (989) 465-2079. Working together, we can meet the need. 

FEATURED AGENCY OF THE WEEK: The Salvation Army

When you have a physical need sometimes there is more to the story, another underlying cause. Maybe there is an emotion attached to the physical need, maybe you do not feel socially accepted and that is creating the physical need or maybe you have a spiritual disconnect and that is the underlying problem. The Salvation Army, Midland Corps seeks to serve the needs of the whole person physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

When you hear of The Salvation Army you probably think of the red kettle buckets at the mall during Christmastime. The Salvation Army is much more than that. They take the time to understand the entire situation of each struggling client that walks through their door, placing a great emphasis on family structure and development. The Salvation Army offers character building programs that help families develop attitudes and skills to improve family life, as well as a successful life for each individual involved. Specifically, they have partnered with The Diaper Alliance to meet the need for struggling families who need diaper assistance. Captain Brian Goodwill states, “We here at The Salvation Army feel we have been blessed to partner with The Diaper Alliance in order to help meet some of the most basic needs for parents in our community. Nearly every time we assist someone with diapers we hear them tell us ‘You don’t know how much this will help us out.’” Goodwill continues, “With the high price of diapers, along with the rising prices of other household basic necessities, this partnership is now more important than ever for the families we serve.”

Meeting immediate needs of those in our community is very important, but The Salvation Army focuses on addressing long-term issues that will generate real life change. Working with partners, like The Diaper Alliance, allows The Salvation Army to meet a variety of needs and give their clients the best possible assistance and care. If you would like to learn more about The Salvation Army visit their website or call Captain Brian Goodwill at (989) 496-2787.