By Valerie Phillips Johnson
Tilden and Charnette Colton have been married for 19 years and never thought the day would come when they would need the help of The Salvation Army. The Newnan high school sweethearts met as freshmen and married after graduating, growing their family to include five children. Even though they had almost finished raising their own three children, they found room in their hearts and home to adopt a teenage mom and her baby. The Coltons who had dedicated much of their lives to being foster parents are no stranger to caring for other people’s children. They now have guardianship of the teen mom and her two-year old child. As Colton waited to process his request for Christmas assistance, he said, “We had always been on the other side of the desk giving help to others. Now here we are at The Salvation Army sitting in the seat of those who need help.” The biggest challenge for Colton was letting go of his pride and coming to The Salvation Army for assistance. The approaching Christmas season convinced him and his wife to come so their children would enjoy the holiday.
Life had been good for this family for many years. But the downturn in the economy impacted their business like it has so many others. As an owner-operator truck driver, they reached a point of not being able to afford diesel for the truck. The business suffered severely, and they got behind on mortgage payments and struggled with providing basic necessities for the family.
Acknowledging that the Lord has always blessed them, he knew another sign of blessing was a friend who told him about The Salvation Army which he had known little about other than the one childhood memory he had of the Army. He reminisces that when he was a small boy, the family was very thankful for the Salvation Army’s assistance when their house burned down. He and his family had not needed The Salvation Army for over 30 years until now. But he was grateful to be about to call on The Salvation Army. The Newnan Salvation Army Service Center provided utility assistance for the Coltons and gave the children toys for Christmas. Last year, Salvation Army units in Georgia provided 155,379 individuals with utility assistance and 211,385 children received toys for Christmas.
Mr. Colton who is also the pastor of a small church says he hears God’s message in his family’s struggle. Through that message, he is affirmed in his belief that relationships are more important than anything else and vows to keep his family together no matter what. The other message ringing loudly in his heart is to keep loving and helping people who have it worse than he does. In many ways, he and his family live out the mission of The Salvation Army. Colton says, “When people lose their jobs and suffer, we all suffer.” As he stands on both sides of the pulpit, He also acknowledges that God allows us (ministers) to go through the storm ourselves so we can grow more compassionate and know first-hand what others are going through. It can only make your ministry stronger and more effective. The Coltons are thankful for the blessing of The Salvation Army in their lives and urges others not to wait too long before they seek the kind of help the Army provides to thousands every day. The Newnan Salvation Army Service Center meets the human needs of its community through the food pantry, financial assistance for rent and utilities, clothing voucher program, family store, disaster services, and spiritual support. For more information, visit www.salvationarmyatlanta.org.
