Entries by Joe Herzberg

Mental Health and Substance Abuse- A Major Impediment to Resolving Homelessness

My work with The Salvation Army has brought me to a more thorough understanding of the issues and solutions in helping those struggling with housing instability, leading to homelessness.  One key factor has stood out as an obstacle to stability, which is the vicious and unrelenting pain of having anxiety, depression, and severe types of psychosis, as well as alcohol or other forms of substance abuse.  While challenging enough, when these problems involve children in families on the edge of instability, the work to resolve becomes even more intense, as I learned from a recent meeting with our local DFACS team in Augusta.

The Challenges to Resolving Homelessness

Several months ago, as the Augusta Salvation Army HR Manager, I was given permission to spend more time assisting at The Salvation Army homeless shelter, which is called the Center of Hope. I wanted to meet some of the people whom we serve, and understand their circumstances better, how we case manage them, and observing […]

Part IV – “Young Seminarian” – The Perspective of a Teenage Boy Attending a Catholic Seminary

Bringing the Passion Play to Augusta 1968 was a tumultuous year in our country, with protests over the increasingly unpopular Vietnam War, and demonstrations and even riots following the shooting death of Dr. Martin Luther King, and presidential candidate, Senator Robert Kennedy. I recall our seminary Rector, Fr. William Coleman, being so upset about the […]