The Salvation Army's vision since its founding in 1865 has been to provide physical and emotional care to those suffering and in need, without discrimination. The Salvation Army is committed to helping people in need of assistance, whether due to a disaster, a personal tragedy, or the circumstances of one's life. The Salvation Army seeks to operate programs that promote and encourage self-sufficiency. The Salvation Army has an unwavering commitment to help those who are economically and socially disadvantaged achieve a greater level of self-sufficiency by offering a wide range of social services and emergency relief programs. The Greater New York Division's 38 Corps Community Centers, located in the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and seven counties in the Lower Hudson Valley, work around the clock to offer food pantries and soup kitchens; rent, utility, and clothing assistance; after school programs and summer camps; adult education classes; music programs; seniors programs; and more. The Salvation Army's goal is to meet the urgent needs of low-income people suffering through hard times, and to offer services they can use to realize more stable and self-sufficient lives. The Salvation Army offers not simply a handout, but rather, a hand up. The Salvation Army's emergency assistance programs act as a gateway service; once inside, clients will meet with a caseworker who will link them into a vast network of social service programs, ensuring the individual's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs are sufficiently met. MISSION: The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.