A family of six including two children with disabilities is calling St. Joseph’s Salvation Army shelter home as they work to get back up on their feet.
“We’re from New Hampshire and we lost the battle with our home,” Norma Seefeldt said. “We had a week to move. We moved and got as much as we could and the things we couldn’t we had to leave.”
Seefeldt and Craig Orzechowska said they’ve been together for eight years, but because they aren’t married they said the church shelters in New Hampshire wouldn’t help them and the other ones were full. So at the beginning of October they said they headed out.
“Craig’s mom lives in Missouri and she said you know there’s more opportunity you could benefit to move to Missouri. So here we are, in Missouri,” Seefeldt said. “Our family I think was a little too much for her and so I ended up leaving with my children.”
Seefeldt said she went to the YWCA first but because the YW is only for women and children she ran into an issue because her oldest son is 21.
Seefeldt has four children, ages 21, 11, and twins who are 7. She said two of her children have Asperger’s Syndrome.
“They’re all about structure, and routine and our life right now is out of structure and out of routine,” she said. “I was worried, I’ve never been homeless like this.”
Salvation Army Major, Abe Tamayo said the Salvation Army is the only full-time shelter in St. Joseph that takes in families.
“She was stranded with no place to stay and no resources,” Tamayo said. “She came to us. We were able to house them as a family, feed them and allow them appliance usage such as washing machines and dryers and those types of things and immediately started plugging them into resources in the community and they’re progressing quite nicely.”
Seefeldt said Orzechowska joined her and the kids in the shelter and they are now looking for ways to rebuild their lives.
“We’re in this situation trying to get jobs, Craig wants to go back to school and we’re looking for a house and not knowing the areas and we’re just searching,” Seefeldt said.
Before losing their home Orzechowska said he worked at his town’s highway department operating heavy equipment and Seefeldt said she worked at a grocery store.
“One day at a time trying to build ourselves back up there,” Seefeldt said. “Being responsible citizens.”
The couple said they hope to find a home for their family in time for Christmas.
“We’re working towards it,” Orsechowska said. “It’s a lot easier because everybody at the Salvation Army is so very nice and they know a lot of things around here that we need to reach and achieve those goals. They make it a lot easier to achieve those goals being our friend and not just a superior. Not making us feel like we’re less than and not equal to.”
“We cannot do what we do without the financial assistance in the St. Joseph community,” Tamayo said. “The Army is always proactive and reactive but never inactive.”
The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign to raise $375,000 for the agency is currently underway. However, the agency is currently $6,000 behind in fundraising efforts from this point in the campaign last year.
“We’re still lagging behind and we need that extra support to meet our goal by Christmas,” Tamayo said. “We’re looking for volunteer bell ringers.”
To volunteer call The Salvation Army 816.233.5824 and ask for LeeAnn.