93 Pathway of Hope: The key components of psychological self-sufficiency with Dr. Philip Hong

10/18/21 • 30 min

This season, we’re studying up on The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.

Last week, we discovered the one question that kicked off this initiative and how Pathway of Hope came to be.

In the roughly 10 years since, The Salvation Army has carefully cultivated the ins and outs of the effort.

For those who provide social services, one of the biggest benchmarks or ways to demonstrate success is the measure of one’s self-sufficiency. But what is self-sufficiency, really? And how do you measure it?

As it turns out, it’s not only about economics—in fact, Psychological Self-Sufficiency and its components are key in reaching one’s goals. And one of those components, hope, is a driver, an anchor to be cultivated along the journey.

Dr. Philip Hong is the Founding Director of the Center for Research on Self-Sufficiency (CROSS) at Loyola University Chicago. That’s in addition to his roles as a professor, Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Doctoral Program.

With CROSS, he’s been involved in studies of the Pathway of Hope as the center’s research focuses on the psychological empowerment process.

As he’ll tell you, hope is psychological capital—a character trait that reflects the inner strength necessary to overcome barriers.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Last week, we discovered the one question that kicked off this initiative and how Pathway of Hope came to be.

In the roughly 10 years since, The Salvation Army has carefully cultivated the ins and outs of the effort.

With CROSS, he’s been involved in studies of the Pathway of Hope as the center’s research focuses on the psychological empowerment process.

As he’ll tell you, hope is psychological capital—a character trait that reflects the inner strength necessary to overcome barriers.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Previous Episode

92 Pathway of Hope: How it all came to be with Commissioner Carol Seiler

This season, we’re exploring The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope—a national initiative to provide individualized services to families with children, addressing their immediate material needs and providing long-term engagement to stop the cycle of poverty.

Last week, we took a deep dive into hope itself to better understand it and what it does psychologically and physiologically, plus how we can find more of it in our own lives.

Hope is part of the namesake of this initiative, the Pathway of Hope.

And you may be wondering how it all came to be about a decade ago.

Commissioner Carol Seiler, who retired from The Salvation Army in 2017 as territorial leader in the central U.S., was there at the start.

She takes it all the way back to a question posed to a meeting of The Salvation Army’s leaders: “You’ve served a lot of people,” the advisor said, “but what are you doing to solve the issues?”

And that question ignited what we now know as Pathway of Hope.

Now in retirement, she is back at work helping establish the Pathway of Hope in the Northwest region of the U.S.

And as she says, the approach is simply to offer what you would to help a friend.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Next Episode

94 Pathway of Hope: My testimony is hope with Lt. Katherine Reid

Last week, we learned about the research surrounding self-sufficiency and how essential hope is along the way.

Hope was described as the driver that leads to goal attainment—and critically connected to our spiritual well-being.

That’s why Pathway of Hope is grounded in Scripture.

From what God requires of us, as found in Micah 6:8, to the motivation for serving suffering humanity, as found in 1 Corinthians 16:14, which says: “Do everything in love.”

That theological foundation is about joining God at the place of need and allowing him to work through us to bring his healing and hope.

And that’s exactly what you’ll hear in this testimony.

Katherine Reid first met The Salvation Army in eighth grade, when she and her mother became residents at a shelter.

Years later, as a mother herself, she again met The Salvation Army and became a participant in the Pathway of Hope.

And this year, Katherine was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer—a pastor—now serving in full-time ministry as the Assistant Corps Officer in Bloomington, Illinois.

Only she can do the incredible details of her story justice.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.