Programs:
Community Table Hot Meals, Learning Zone (Preschool, Afterschool, Summer), Red Shield food giveaways, Food Pantry, utility help, hot showers, clothing, & Christmas. The Summit County unit has served Akron and surrounding communities since 1884 -- 138 years of commitment. The dedicated staff and committed volunteers of the Summit County unit work every day to provide tangible assistance through programs that are not generic or one-size-fits-all but are flexible to provide the right assistance needed at the right times to the right people. Current services provided to this community include:
- Emergency financial assistance for rent, mortgage and utility payments
_HUGS for the Homeless (Hats, Underwear, Gloves, Socks) year round
- Hot showers for homeless
- Feeding programs such as hot meals, panty, direct food distribution
and delivery to shut-ins
- Children's programs including overnight summer camp, day care, after- school care, and summer enrichment
- Visits to elderly, disabled and imprisoned
-Textbook and food assistance for University of Akron students
- A 60-bed resident rehabilitation program for those struggling with
addiction to drugs and alcohol
- Disaster services and emergency response as needed
In 2021, The Salvation Army Summit County Area Services provided 52. 446 unduplicated individuals with 693,282 services. The Area Services office currently employs 23 full time staff, and is responsible for all of the programs listed above. Although there are locations in 124 countries around the world, the local unit is responsible to raise all funds necessary to support the programs in our own community. The goals of The Salvation Army of Summit County are to:
Interrupt and break the cycle of poverty in our community, enabling economic self-sufficiency and active contribution to the social, economic and spiritual well-being of the community
Serve as a unifying force that is welcomed by, respected by, and able to bring together all elements of our community - those in a position to give and those in a place of need. The Salvation Army in Summit County is unique in that it is located in multiple areas surrounding Greater Akron and thereby accessible to those in need. In its history in Greater Akron, the Salvation Army has been instrumental in bringing one community together in a spirit of humility, service, and all motivated by a simple faith in Christ.
