Salvation Army Sucess Story: Tameka Crawford

FAST FACTS:

This time of year... It's not hard to hear ringing bells at the grocery store from Salvation Army volunteers asking for donations.

Every once in a while we get a glimpse at the people in the mid south helped by the Salvation Army's hard work.

They call me solider at work, they told me they aren't going to say hi or bye, they are going to salute me." It's taken a lot for Memphis mother Tameka Crawford to get where she is. She admits...it's been tough.

"I was working and I had an apartment, everything was going fine and I got pregnant with my youngest," said Crawford.

Crawford already had two children and her third was on the way. She says she was working at a restaurant. And because of her pregnancy she became ill and lost her job.

"Of course you can't keep up with your bills after your saving is gone so when my money ran I out two months after I lost my job, I was homeless and I had two kids and one on the way," Crawford recalled from the tough times.

Her family was in New York. Her friends couldn't help her out. So she came across the street from the apartments where she was living.... to the Salvation Army. She told them her story and they took her in.

"They come to us generally very broken, jobless, penny less, cold many of them have left situations where they leave everything behind," said Salvation Army Program Director Joyce Waters.

Crawford and her kids are part of more than 300 people taken into the emergency family shelter at the Salvation Army. The program is for women with children. Women come in and receive not only shelter and food, but resources like job referrals and resume help.... All to get them back on their feet. "It motivated me to better than what I was doing," added Crawford.

Now this "solider" has a job, a place to live and is almost done with her GED program. But she says most important... She is able to provide for her kids. And can't say thank you enough to the Salvation Army and those who support it.

Crawford says she has received her angel tree gifts this year. And thinks she and her kids will be more than happy with the toys and clothes they received.

http://www.wreg.com/wreg-salvation-army-sucess-story,0,2222716.story

Candace McCowan
WREG
December 16, 2009

Salvation Army Sucess Story: Tameka Crawford

FAST FACTS:

This time of year... It's not hard to hear ringing bells at the grocery store from Salvation Army volunteers asking for donations. Every once in a while we get a glimpse at the people in the mid south helped by the Salvation Army's hard work.

This time of year... It's not hard to hear ringing bells at the grocery store from Salvation Army volunteers asking for donations.

Every once in a while we get a glimpse at the people in the mid south helped by the Salvation Army's hard work.