Salvation Army’s “Hope on Wheels” Delivers Help for the Homeless
Photo Caption: Naomi Kuhlman talks with a homeless woman about her options for assistance. She and her spouse were camped out in Redlands Sylvan Park.
“Our trained outreach teams go to where the homeless people are and engage them in personal conversations to discover and deal with the reasons they are unhoused,” said Naomi Kuhlman, Program Manager.
REDLANDS, Calif.—The Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps deploys two specialized vans, each with a two- to three-person team, that are deployed throughout the greater San Bernardino/Redlands service area to engage with and locate unhoused individuals where they can be found. These teams also receive referrals from local areas and are sent out to provide assistance. Two teams in Redlands and three in San Bernardino are changing lives for the better.
The attractively painted Salvation Army vans are welcomed wherever they go, as the word is spreading that the people inside can provide genuine assistance. “Our trained outreach teams go to where the homeless people are and engage them by providing basic necessities such as water or food and have conversations to discover and deal with the reasons they are unhoused,” said Naomi Kuhlman, Salvation Army of San Bernardino’s Director of Programs.
Since 2020, thanks to a $1,059,712 grant to get the program started and additional funding and support from several city and county agencies, as well as private and public organizations and nonprofits, The Salvation Army has been able to help many people reunite with their families, resolve their homelessness, get stable housing and start on the path to independent living.
Photo Caption: “Our trained ‘Street Teams’ outreach teams go to where the homeless people are and engage them in person by providing basic necessities such as water or food and have conversations to discover and deal with the reasons they are unhoused,” said Naomi Kuhlman, Salvation Army Street Team and Homeless Shelter Program of San Bernardino’s Director of Programs.
“This is a broad-based effort that combines Salvation Army program services from across the local 13-city service area,” said Kuhlman. “We reach out and contact unhoused people wherever they may be, and we spend time to get to know them and their individual concerns and needs. We take an individualized case-management approach. Sometimes, it’s a Department of Motor Vehicles Identification Voucher, a phone call, or a text; other times, it might involve advocating for behavioral health services or assisting with placement in permanent housing. We get done what needs to be done and help connect the dots so that those we serve don’t fall through the cracks.”
The Salvation Army’s partners and collaborators in the program include the City’s of San Bernardino and Redlands, the County of San Bernardino, the San Bernardino and Redlands Police Departments, the County of San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and Probation Department, Department of Veterans Affairs, local water districts, and various nonprofits such as Healthcare in Action and Goodwill.
“There are many reasons why people may be homeless and a variety of circumstances that may get in the way of providing shelter for someone,” says Kuhlman.
PHOTO CAPTION: A Salvation Army “Hope on Wheels” helps a couple who are living in their Van parked in Redlands Sylvan Park.
“Whether it’s a phone call that results in reuniting someone with family they have been estranged from or getting someone’s service dog veterinary care and current shots so they can bring their support animal with them to a shelter, we do what it takes to make help happen. You can understand why we call this work that we get to do providing ‘Hope on Wheels,’” says Kuhlman.
Help can range from something as simple as providing a bottle of water or a snack, to enrolling in a vocational training program, receiving behavioral health services, assistance with preparing a résumé, or any other items deemed necessary to aid in focusing on Individual Service Plans.
According to Kuhlman, the concept that drives the Outreach Teams’ effort is providing individualized options for care and support.
In 2024, The Salvation Army served 28,201 People in 25,022 households, provided 113,400 meals, and distributed groceries to 10,801 households. The Hospitality House provided 35,871 nights of shelter to families and children experiencing homelessness. A total of 3,513 children participated in educational and recreational programs. 171households were rapidly rehoused through various deposit and rental assistance programs.
he Salvation Army welcomes donations of food, clothing, toys, and money, which can be dropped off at 925 W. 10th Street, San Bernardino, or at the Citadel office at 838 Alta Street, in Redlands. Donations can also be made online at SBCSVA.org.
For more information or help, call The Salvation Army at (909) 792-6868.
About the Salvation Army San Bernardino Corps
The Salvation Army is one of the largest charitable and service organizations in the world, having served San Bernardino since 1888 and supported those in need.
The Salvation Army is an evangelical part of the Universal Christian Church and offers holistic programs for individuals without discrimination. They serve the cities of Bloomington, Colton, Grand Terrace, Highland, Loma Linda, Mentone, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino, and Yucaipa, as well as Big Bear, Blue Jay, Crestline, Lake Arrowhead, and other mountain communities.