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The Salvation Army Western Territory was awarded the Lloyd Dean Institute of Humankindness Health Justice Award during the inaugural Humankindness and Health Justice Virtual Summit Sept. 19. The Humankindness and Health Justice Awards celebrate individuals and community partners who demonstrate a deep commitment to health equity, social justice and compassionate care.
According to the Lloyd H. Dean Institute for Humankindness and Health Justice (LHDI) at CommonSpirit Health, The Salvation Army was selected from a pool of nominees from across the country, all of whom embody LHDI’s core values of kindness, empathy and leadership in driving health justice.
“We are deeply honored to receive the Lloyd Dean Institute of Humankindness Health Justice Award,” said The Salvation Army Western Territorial Commander Commissioner Douglas Riley. “Our partnership with Dignity Health has enabled us to serve thousands of individuals across California in need of critical support. We are immensely proud of this collaboration and are grateful for this esteemed recognition.”
“Dignity Health’s partnership with The Salvation Army is a model for how collaboration with like-minded partners can have a big impact.”
Julie J. Sprengel, Dignity Health California President
The partnership started in 2020 when Dignity Health, part of CommonSpirit, provided a $1,059,721 grant to The Salvation Army to establish a homeless outreach program across California, initially drawing some inspiration from similar programs, like The Salvation Army’s Street Level program in Seattle.
The grant helped The Salvation Army acquire mobile outreach vehicles, fully equip them, and transform them into mobile offices furnished with Wi-Fi—an essential resource for connecting with a population that frequently lacks access.
Today, the Mobile Homeless Outreach vans serve as a touchpoint for increased community engagement. Mobile Homeless Outreach teams in California’s Fresno/Merced Central Valley, San Joaquin, San Bernardino, and San Luis Obispo counties deliver vital support to people experiencing homelessness, with the goal of connecting individuals to essential resources and facilitating their transition toward permanent housing.
“Dignity Health’s partnership with The Salvation Army is a model for how collaboration with like-minded partners can have a big impact,” Dignity Health California President Julie J. Sprengel said in the video presentation. “From access to care to addressing health equity, together we are making a difference. Physicians, residents, social workers, health navigators, translators, substance abuse providers and mental health experts all work together to build trust and connect each person to the services most in need.”
Along the way, the program has expanded its impact beyond the initial goal, resulting in greater collaboration among community groups, which has facilitated a higher awareness and distribution of vital resources.
“Our mobile homeless outreach teams have worked tirelessly to build community partnerships with Dignity hospitals and other agencies so they can collaborate to provide hope, dignity and housing resources to our unhoused neighbors,” said Chief Secretary Colonel Eddie Vincent.
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