Ben Slocum’s mission is to help people keep their lights on.

The 58-year-old Navy veteran was hired last month to serve as the social services coordinator at the Niles Salvation Army.

With his aptitude for helping people through difficult situations, Slocum said he felt the job was a calling from the minute he first glimpsed at the job advertisement.

So far, it is been the right fit.

“It has been phenomenal,” Slocum said. “It is one of those jobs where you don’t think, ‘oh, got to go to work.’ It’s exciting.”

Slocum replaced former social services coordinator Jan Nowak, who left the organization to pursue a job in Buchanan.

As social services coordinator, Slocum will provide energy assistance, which covers the cost of utility bills of those in need.

But Slocum’s mission is not just to provide a hand out.

He said his mission is also to teach clients how to better balance their budget and cut down on energy costs at home. In the future, he will also help to run the Pathway of Hope program, which provides individualized assistance to families in need.

The utility bill coverage services are funded through the Michigan Energy Assistance Program. This fiscal year, the organization provided about $40,000 to the Niles Salvation Army. The funding amount varies each year, Slocum said.

Slocum will help to determine those who qualify for assistance based on a needs criterion, which evaluates income and circumstances of the person in need.

When people get to keep their lights on, it usually puts some pep in their step, Slocum said. The ability to directly help those in their community was exactly what Slocum wanted to do.

“They come in with a need and when they walk out with a need met, that is a feather in both our hats,” Slocum said. “We both feel good.”

While Slocum tries to help everyone, who walks through the door, he said a frustrating aspect of the job is when people don’t use the help available. He cited some instances where people did not make an appointment for help, but then do not show up. If Slocum cannot work with them, he cannot help.

“It breaks my heart,” Slocum said.

But those cases are few and far between and Slocum said he hopes to serve the community to the best of his ability in the years to come.

“My goal is to impact as many people as I possibly can in this community,” Slocum said. “I want to provide them with the support they need, right here in their community.”

Through years of experience working with people in a variety of professions, Slocum said he feels he can accomplish just that.

From 1977 to 1990, Slocum served in the Navy, where one of his knees became badly damaged through strenuous work. He later took up a job as a plumber for Bethel College in Mishawaka, where he worked from 2004 to 2010. But, as a disabled veteran, Slocum said he knew he could not do the physically taxing job forever, plus he still felt the calling to serve his community in a different role. 

When Slocum was working for the college, he was told the university would cover the cost of one degree because he was an employee. Slocum took the opportunity and while working full time, took night classes to earn a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. After graduating in 2009, Slocum pursued a master’s degree from Bethel College in ministry, with an emphasis in counseling.

During a layoff period, Slocum lost his job and felt like it was the right time to find a career serving others.

Wanting to begin to help people, Slocum worked at an internship at the Pregnancy Care Center in Niles for a year, where he counseled men with the goal of helping them have the tools to be a good dad. 

Slocum would later take his talents to Michigan Works, in Dowagiac, where he helped people find jobs.

“Even when I worked there, I always wanted to do more,” Slocum said. “They would give me more projects, but there was still an empty spot that I felt I had to fill.”

When he met with the Salvation Army team for an interview, Slocum said he felt he had found that role.

Going forward, Slocum said he hopes to strengthen connections with local churches and the community, to better assess the needs of residents.

“It feels like I finally found what I wanted to be when I grow up,” Slocum said.