Horizon Bank Donates $6,000 to The Salvation Army of Lake County for COVID-19 Relief
MUNSTER, INDIANA – April 16, 2020 – The Salvation Army of Lake County received a generous donation of $6,000 from Horizon Bank, to be used to help those in Lake County who are hurt most from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The needs of the Salvation Army here in Lake County are up significantly due to COVID-19, and these dollars will go a long way in helping during these difficult times. They (The Salvation Army) do so much good under normal circumstances, that we want to help them when the needs multiply due to this unforeseen crisis,”stated Steve Dahlkamp, Vice President, Senior Commercial Loan Officer.
“Since March 16, when the pandemic began to shut down businesses in Lake County leaving thousands unemployed due to no fault of their own, almost 2,200 households have been given the groceries needed, and 2,000 hot meals have been served. That’s more than a 500% increase from where we were in February 2020.”Said Captain Brian Clark, Coordinator for The Salvation Army of Lake County. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of people seeking assistance with paying their rent and utility bills as well. Many of these hard-working people are employed in the service industries and retail, and live paycheck to paycheck,” Captain Clark said. “We are so grateful for the generosity and caring of Horizon Bank. Their donation couldn’t have come at a better time!”
Joe and Darlene, visited The Salvation Army’s Hammond-Munster Community Center. The couple had driven from Tennessee with the promise of a new job for Joe. When they arrived in Hammond they found that the employer had closed for business due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving them and their dog to live in their van without food or a source of income. Kevin, a Salvation Army employee immediately contacted the manager of a local hotel to get Joe and Darlene a room for a day or two, while the Community Center’s social worker, Sherwin, went to work assisting them with other urgent needs, like securing another job and a longer-term housing solution.
The Salvation Army of Lake County consists of three Community Centers – Gary-Merrillville, East Chicago and Hammond-Munster, as well as the Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) in Gary, Indiana. The ARC is a residential facility that helps men who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. The Salvation Army Community Centers remain open and staffed to serve their respective communities. If you are in need of emergency services due to the COVID-19 crisis, or would like to partner with The Salvation Army to help your neighbors in need, please visit www.SalArmyLakeCounty.org, or call 219.838.1328.
About The Salvation Army of Lake County:
As one of the largest direct providers of social services, The Salvation Army operates 29 corps community centers, as well as other facilities in neighborhoods across the Chicago Metropolitan Division, spanning from Rockford to Northwest Indiana. The Salvation Army operates three corps community centers in Lake County, Indiana, including East Chicago, Gary-Merrillville, and Hammond-Munster. The organization offers shelter referral, homelessness prevention, food pantry and meals, alcohol and drug rehabilitation services, disaster relief services, after-school programs, recreational activities, music education and more. For more information, visit: www.SalArmyLakeCounty.org.
About Horizon Bank
Horizon Bank has pledged $250,000 in aid for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds are being allocated across several not-for-profit groups who are working to assist affected individuals in the communities we serve in the States of Indiana and Michigan.
Horizon Bank, Inc. is an independent, commercial bank holding company serving Indiana and Michigan through its commercial banking subsidiary, Horizon Bank. Horizon Bank may be reached online at www.horizonbank.com. Its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol HBNC.
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Media contact:
Captain Brian Clark
Lake County Coordinator
The Salvation Army, Lake County
(o) 219.838.0380 | (c) 219.588.2501