Those Who Serve
Short profiles of the Jefferson County neighbors who answer the call in public safety, social work, and community care.
Larry Hostetler and the Gentle Work of Restoring Hope and Dignity
At The Salvation Army in Arnold, Hostetler’s work reflects a mission built not only on food, rent, utilities, and referrals, but on listening, dignity, and seeing the person behind the crisis.
There are moments at The Salvation Army in Arnold that do not fit neatly into a brochure.
A person walks through the door overwhelmed by bills, a shutoff notice, a family crisis, or a situation they no longer know how to carry alone. Sometimes they need food. Sometimes they need utility assistance. Sometimes they need help finding the right place to turn next.
And sometimes, they simply need someone to sit across from them and listen.
For Larry Hostetler, that is part of the heart of the work.
“Everybody we deal with are humans,” Hostetler said. “They have a story.”
That understanding shapes the way The Salvation Army serves families and individuals across Jefferson County. The mission is broad: to meet human need in Jesus’ name without discrimination. But in practice, that mission becomes very personal. It means looking past the immediate crisis long enough to see the person in front of you.
Larry Hostetler and Danette Davidson at The Salvation Army Arnold Service Center. Photo courtesy of Larry Hostetler.
Danette Davidson, assistant director at the Arnold location, described a woman who came to the door near the end of the day. Her niece was being released from a psychiatric facility and was facing housing instability. The woman did not know what to do and felt unable to help in the way she wanted.
The Salvation Army staff brought her in, listened, gave her names and resources, and prayed with her.
“She looked at us and she’s like, ‘Just thank you for listening,’” Davidson said.
That kind of care is not flashy. It does not always show up in numbers or reports. But for someone carrying fear, shame, or exhaustion, being heard can be the first step toward hope.
Hostetler said it is not unusual for people to cry when they come in for help. He remembered a woman who sat at a table to fill out paperwork but was sobbing so heavily she could not complete the forms on her own.
“She said, ‘I came here with so much concern,’” Hostetler recalled.
For her, the visit became the first chance to unload what she was carrying and begin to believe there might be a path forward.
That is why dignity is central to the work.
The people who come to The Salvation Army are not treated as problems to be processed. They are neighbors with names, families, histories, burdens, and hopes. Some are facing a sudden financial emergency. Some have lost work. Some have received an unexpected bill. Some are trying to keep the lights on, keep food on the table, or stay safely housed.
Their circumstances may be different, but their humanity is the same.
“There are all sorts of reasons why people find themselves in need,” Hostetler said.
That perspective matters because it pushes against easy assumptions. A person’s crisis rarely tells their whole story. Hostetler said when people see someone holding a sign near an exit, they may only give that person five seconds of attention. But through The Salvation Army, staff and volunteers often know people by name. They hear the story. They learn what led to the need. They try to understand what kind of help could make a lasting difference.
The goal is not simply to provide a temporary fix. When The Salvation Army helps with rent or utilities, staff also ask questions about what happens next. If they help keep the lights on this month, how will the family manage next month? If they help with rent, what is the path forward?
That kind of casework protects donor resources, but it also protects the dignity of the person being helped. It treats the crisis as real while also treating the person as capable of a future beyond the crisis.
Faith is also part of that care.
Hostetler said The Salvation Army is a Christian organization, and its middle name matters. Staff may offer prayer, encouragement, and spiritual support, but they do not impose belief on anyone. They serve people of different faiths and people with no faith at all.
“We serve Muslims, we serve atheists,” Hostetler said. “We do it in the name of Christ, but we don’t impose belief on anyone.”
He also pointed to a saying from the founder of The Salvation Army:
“You can’t deal with the heart until you’ve dealt with the cold feet and the empty stomach.”
That idea is visible in the Arnold location’s daily work. Food matters. Clothing matters. Rent and utilities matter. Water, transportation, paperwork, and referrals matter. But so do compassion, patience, prayer, and the willingness to see people as more than their hardest moment.
Hostetler said many people are only one unexpected event away from needing help themselves. A lost job, a medical issue, a car repair, a utility bill, or a family emergency can quickly change everything.
That reality gives the work a different kind of urgency.
At The Salvation Army in Arnold, restoring hope does not always happen through one large act. Sometimes it happens through a pantry cart. Sometimes through a phone call. Sometimes through a prayer. Sometimes through a caseworker who asks one more question. Sometimes through a volunteer who treats a neighbor with kindness when they feel invisible.
The work can be quiet, but it matters.
Because every person has a story.
And sometimes, the first step toward restoring dignity is making sure someone knows their story is heard.
Know someone who should be featured in Those Who Serve? Send their name, role, and a short note about their service to The Jefferson Review.
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