Salvation Army marches on: Office expansion project under way

Many have driven past the Salvation Army on Butternut Street, perhaps noting its tidiness.

It's the same inside, the smell of cleaning products suggesting upkeep is a consistent chore.

All seems in order, except for one thing. Several staff offices on the first floor are in boarding rooms. It's odd to step into Jan Morrison's small office at the end of the hall to find it has its own restroom. And closet.

And a door with paint scraped off but not yet repainted.

It's why the Salvation Army launched a project to acquire a building across the street and move a good part of its staff. The central facility has a reception area and space designated for three offices. But staff, which numbers 21, has outgrown this small area and has been taking up space that guests at the shelter could be using.

"We're trying to make the building conform to the current need," Morrison said. It was determined the plan was doable "but cost money."

Acquiring more space

Doable was defined as purchasing a former, one-story office building at 1717 Butternut - across the street.

That has been done. The $1.1 million shelter expansion is under way. Morrison believes the construction side of the project will get started this year, but likely not completed.

Because it took a while to raise funds, the original architect no longer was on the project. A new one was found - Jacob & Martin. The firm has created a floor plan for the new building.

The next step is the bidding process and demolition.

The new office space will be next to the warehouse for the Salvation Army thrift shop. Morrison believes the office building once was used by a trade union.

A check with the Central Appraisal District of Taylor County shows the most recent occupants were the Communication Workers Union in 2017, then the Postal Workers NALC in 2019.

Morrison said that while the money is there for demolition and construction, donations will be needed because the Salvation Army then can take care of more residents.

"More hot water, more toilet paper," she said.

All administrative staff not in the three true offices at the shelter will move there.

Once that is done, three downstairs and two upstairs rooms in the central facility can be used again for residential purposes, she said. Each would accommodate two people.

Dorm setting not for everyone

Those rooms are good for residents who struggle in a dormitory setting. The Salvation Army has bunkbeds and storage cabinets for two dormitories, and suites. Women and men are segregated.

Lowe's donated bunk beds but residents are situated together. Some are not used to that or not comfortable with others in close proximity.

These include people with mental health issues, such as PTSD.

"They can't sleep in a room with other people. Especially our veteran population. Being in close quarters with other people," Morrison said. "Those folks don't even want to stay here. And we don't want that."

Morrison said that according to 2022 numbers from the West Texas Homeless Network, 10% of the local population on any given day are veterans.

Those who use wheelchairs or have health issues requiring a bathroom close by would be physically more comfortable on the first floor, too.

"Dormitories don't work for everybody," Morrison said.

The campus has two main buildings - the dormitory that faces Butternut Street and the Corps building, which faces west on Poplar Street. It's where church services are held. It has classrooms and a gymnasium.

"All the things you'd find in a church building," said Morrison, who's the development director.

Salvation Army fills up when the weather is extreme

During the holiday season, the gym becomes the hub for the Angel Tree program, which provides Christmas cheer to qualifying families. Along with the Red Kettle program, Angel Tree is one of most visible giving opportunities for the community. It started in 1979.

The Salvation Army is a landing place for those who otherwise would be on the streets or under a bridge in Abilene. It's a place that can fill when it gets bitterly cold, as it did here in February 2021, or scalding hot, as it did from May-August last summer. When it's minus-4 degrees or 110 for three straight days, folks need a place to go.

On the average, 64 people spend the night at the Salvation Army. They are accommodated with either permanent beds or cots. There are open areas that can house more people during weather extremes or when all the beds are taken.

"We start pulling out cots," she said.

There is a fee for an overnight stay, which is called "emergency shelter." That is to encourage newcomers to meet with social services workers, Morrison said.

"You sleep in a cot and you leave the next morning," she said.

The fee is $8, but that is waived with a meeting with a social services worker.

The goal is to discourage transiency.

"Don't just come in, sleep and leave," Morrison said. "Let's figure out what we can do long term."

A solution is the goal

"Long term" could be entering a drug/alcohol recovery program. The Salvation Army operates a 10-month program, which means the person could be staying longer at the shelter. They meet with workers and are given on-site tasks.

"It's basically rehab," she said. These folks need to be monitored and not sent out.

"If they leave," she said, "they're never going to come back."

The Salvation Army assists in getting people to appointments, such as Betty Hardwick Center for mental health services.

If a rehab program is not needed, "we help them find a job," Morrison said.

"They live here until they can work enough hours to get more benefits and save money to get into their own place," she said.

The Salvation Army also has a strip of four apartments. They can be occupied by people who believe they have gotten back on their feet.

Two recent occupants were two former clients who now work for the Salvation Army.

They say, "I want to work and pay it forward. Can I stay in one of these apartments?" Morrison said. the answer is yes.

She said a national trend is fewer homeless.

"The federal number of families in poverty is shrinking little by little," she said.

"But the clients that we are caring for are staying here longer and getting more services. So it's not just this transient stay overnight," Morrison said. Time and resources invested in them better assure they will become independent in their lives.

Success, she said, can be found not in the quantitative data but in the qualitative.

"It's a lot of work for one person but that one person is off the streets now," Morrison said happily.

Success stories make effort worthwhile

There's Larry, who wanted to help with the current office project and contributed pictures that he colored. Larry is a veteran and homeless for 21 years.

"He found it was easier to find a drink than to solve his problems," Morrison said. He had no ID.

The Salvation Army worked its way back to find where he was born so a birth certificate could be obtained. From that point, the paperwork process could begin. He qualified for funding through the Veterans Administration. He now has an apartment and wears his key around his neck.

Larry is a success story. And he wanted to show his appreciation, in his way.

"He wanted to be helpful. I said 'Larry, you're so sweet.'" Morrison said.

Cameron, who works now in the kitchen, didn't speak when he arrived. He did not trust anyone, Morrison said.

"We've gotten him to open up. He's the one who wants to do TV interviews," she said.

It's the people who come through and are helped that drive the Salvation Army. Moving staff across the streets will provide more space for guys such as Larry and Cameron to stick around and perhaps turn their lives around.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Salvation Army marches on: Office expansion project under way