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.
Since 2010, The Salvation Army’s New Day to Stop Human Trafficking Program (New Day) has been instrumental in leading Philadelphia’s strategic response to identifying and serving victims of human trafficking. New Day exists to foster safety, prevent revictimization, and advocate for social change for survivors and those at risk of human trafficking through trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and accessible services. New Day meets basic needs and connects vulnerable individuals to services to help them break out of the cycle. The Salvation Army has created four initiatives under the New Day umbrella to aid these efforts: New Day Drop-In Center (NDDI), New Home, Police Assisted Diversion (PAD), and Mobile Case Management.
In line with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, basic needs must be met before addressing the complex barriers preventing people from breaking out of exploitation. When someone is hungry and in need of shelter, they will focus on fulfilling these basic needs and nothing else. After those needs are met, that person needs to be surrounded by a trauma-informed support system to start the recovery process. Finally, once they feel safe and secure, they can begin to address the other barriers keeping them from reaching self-sufficiency. To meet these needs, New Day opened NDDI, a robust drop-in center that provides female-identifying Kensington community members with food, clothing, hygiene, showers, and case management support.
NDDI is strategically located in the heart of Kensington and has been in existence since 2010. It was opened in response to the needs of adult female-identifying individuals who are victims of sex trafficking in the neighborhood. Kensington is also the Philadelphia epicenter of the opioid epidemic. According to WHYY, Kensington’s poverty percentage was recorded at an extremely high 45% in 2024.
