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In San Francisco, homelessness
has become a humanitarian crisis, but
The Salvation Army has a solution
SPONSORED BY THE SALVATION ARMY
May 25th, 2020. Though he didn’t know it at the time, that was the last day Nolan would ever get high. The date marked a significant turning point in Nolan’s life. Unhoused and addicted to drugs, he was high when he was arrested on the streets of San Francisco. But after spending a few months in county jail, Nolan found himself in the care of The Salvation Army’s The Way Out initiative.
The Way Out is a recovery-focused homeless initiative providing a proven path to recovery for anyone who wants it. Through a continuum of services, The Way Out is restoring lives and inspiring change through its ‘Recovery System of Care.’
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Through The Way Out, we are transforming the lives of people struggling with addiction and homelessness by offering them hope and a path to a better life.”
“I’d been struggling with substance abuse, getting arrested, and in and out of institutions since I was 20 years old,” says Nolan, who’s now in college studying to be a mechanical engineer. “I lost my way in the past, but The Salvation Army literally showed me a way out.”
Unfortunately, Nolan’s story before The Way Out is far from unique. Homelessness in San Francisco, where many of the homeless also struggle with illegal drug use and mental illness, has become a humanitarian crisis. According to new data, over 20,000 people experienced homelessness in the city at some point last year.
Consider San Franciscan resident, Reshawn. On Reshawn’s 47th birthday, police found her beaten up beside the bus stop where she’d spent many of her last 15 years while living on the streets. In the ambulance, as the EMTs sang her happy birthday, Reshawn felt desperate for an escape from the cycle of poverty and addiction that had claimed much of her life. The Way Out gave her the opportunity to recover from her injuries and then helped her break that cycle.
“The Way Out accepted me with open arms,” Reshawn recalls. “They helped me grow into this beautiful Black woman that I’ve always wanted to be.”
For many, homelessness can feel like an unsolvable problem. But it doesn’t have to be. The Salvation Army and its The Way Out initiative are proof that something can be done.
“The mission of The Way Out is to provide a pathway out of hopelessness,” says Steve Adami, The Way Out’s Executive Director. The Way Out has been so successful because it combines everything a person experiencing homelessness and addiction needs: drug treatment on demand, withdrawal management, residential treatment and therapeutic communities, recovery-focused transitional housing, life skills, career development, independent living, and our alumni support network. “Through The Way Out, we are transforming the lives of people struggling with addiction and homelessness by offering them hope and a path to a better life.”
The Way Out’s proven path starts with drug treatment on demand in residential and therapeutic communities designed to help break the cycle of addiction. The on-demand aspect is key. The average waiting time to get into a treatment program in San Francisco is ten days. Most people suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) can’t or won’t wait that long. Once treatment is completed, the person moves to transitional housing where they receive onsite supportive services which include case management, career development, recovery support groups, and essential life skills, providing an avenue to leave life on the streets behind. Finally, once a participant has found stability, the program promotes independent living while supporting graduates through its alumni support network.
“It’s hard to come off the streets and immediately be back to normal,” says Jamela, a formerly incarcerated drug addict who participated in the program. “The Way Out opened up the doors for me to successfully re-enter society.”
In San Francisco, The Salvation Army houses approximately 750 people, like Nolan, Reshawn, and Jamela, who are unstably housed or struggling with addiction. There is a need for so much more. Recognizing the connection between addiction, mental illness, and unstable housing, The Salvation Army plans to strengthen San Francisco's continuum of care and is aiming to add 1,000 beds. The Joseph McFee Center, a new recovery-focused transitional housing program, aims to help get them there.
Through initiatives like The Way Out and programs like the Joseph McFee Center, The Salvation Army is making a tangible difference in helping people escape homelessness. But The Salvation Army needs our help too, either through donations or volunteers.
Writing in the Chronicle, Editor-in-Chief Emilio Garcia-Ruiz wrote, “SFNext presents us all with a challenge: Can we compromise on our individual preferences and think about what’s best for the city as a whole? For this project to work, we need you and we need your ideas. We’re looking for solutions.”
Visit The Way Out’s website to learn more.
“The Joseph McFee Center enhances our continuum of care and aims to improve long-term recovery results,” explains Executive Director Adami. The pilot project, located in San Francisco’s Mission District, currently serves 36 participants, with a planned expansion to serve up to 100 more. The program provides services for up to 24 months and cultivates a transformative community based on the principles of recovery, accountability, and service, according to Adami. “We’re fostering lifelong change by promoting positive values and behaviors through peer interaction, instruction, and community service.”
We’re fostering lifelong change
by promoting positive values and behaviors through peer interaction, instruction, and community service.”
The community and elected officials gather at The Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center to remember those lost to overdose and addiction.
Joseph McFee Center Director, Aaron Lowers, hosts a barbeque at the beach for participants.
Participants of The Salvation Army’s Culinary Arts program prepare and serve meals every Friday in the Tenderloin.
Participants of The Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center volunteer at the Annual Holiday Luncheon. Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
Steve Adami, Executive Director of The Way Out at the 2023 Holiday Luncheon. Credit: Drew Altizer Photography