Growing a Local Team

Samantha looks at the crowded tables and listens to the loud chatter as it fills every crevice of the dining hall. She smiles as she watches the children eating their food and laughing alongside friends that sometimes feel more like family. Samantha and Raymundo have been working at Salvation Army Children’s Home for a little over a year. They live nearby with their two young daughters, and were originally hired as the cook and night watchman, but have now officially transitioned into being full-time caretakers.

“One of the main objectives with sponsorship money has been to develop a local team who will consistently provide care to the children,” shared Matt Metzger, Back2Back staff. “Salvation Army often relocates their officers every few years; if the directors are also the primary caregivers, the transition can be very difficult for the children.”

Matt, along with Salvation Army employees and fellow Back2Back staff, has been working with Salvation Army leadership to move toward longer terms for officers assigned to a children’s home. At the same time, they’ve been working to provide a full, consistent staff team of local caregivers, social workers, psychologists, cooks, and night watchmen. “If we can provide and train a team locally, the effects of directors being re-assigned will be much less traumatic for the children,” shared Matt.

Child Sponsorship Funds will focus on affording a full-time psychologist, social worker, education coordinator, cook, and caregivers beginning January, 2018. This will allow each person to completely fulfill their roles and equally share the work of holistically caring for each child at Salvation Army Children’s Home.

The consistency of the local staff team will hopefully lessen the abruptness of directors changing, but also allow the directors to focus on raising funds and managing finances for the home, leading their growing staff team, and developing programs to benefit the kids. For example, they recently started teaching some of the children how to play brass instruments. “It’s a fun, unique, and challenging way the children are learning a new skill and discovering passions,” shared Matt. Caregivers, psychologists, and social workers that are local and present all the time will go a long way in providing emotional support for each child.

Back2Back Mazatlán thanks each of you for the ways you faithfully give, allowing each boy and girl at Salvation Army Children’s Home to receive consistent and loving care. Please join us in prayer for a local social worker to be called to serve the orphaned and vulnerable child alongside Back2Back at Salvation Army Children’s Home.