Salvation Army launches ‘Hope Has a Place’ campaign to support shelter expansion

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Salvation Army of Charlottesville has launched a new campaign to build support for a shelter expansion it says will help address major gaps in homelessness services here in the city.

Through ‘Hope Has a Place,’ the nonprofit is hoping to transform its current decades-old facility into a new Center of Hope, doubling capacity and serving more people in Central Virginia.

“We are 30 years behind on keeping pace with the need in the community,” said Major Donald Wilson at Tuesday’s launch. “We have individuals that come to us from around the surrounding communities, and we want to do a better job, and also an enhanced job, an expanded job, of helping these individuals.”

The current facilities on Ridge Street were built in the 1960s and 1980s, and are sufficient for about 55 people to sleep. The new Center of Hope would provide 110 beds, a kitchen facility that can serve 120 people, expanded family shelters, and better access to classes and potential jobs.

“It’s not a warehouse,” Wilson said. “It’s not a makeshift building. It’s a place where they can come in and feel comfortable, they can raise their head a little bit, but also it’s going to be safe and secure.”

Of course, none of that comes cheap. To break ground on the new facility, the Salvation Army needs $28 million total.

Right now, they’ve raised $17 million, as construction costs continue to climb.

“Our timeline is to go as fast as we can,” Wilson said.

Tuesday’s launch featured remarks from Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade, who emphasized the need for the new facilities alongside the low-barrier shelter the city is planning to build at 2000 Holiday Drive.

That facility, which will have fewer rules around IDs and substance use, will also take millions of dollars and likely a few years to complete. The two proposals come amid a new report revealing that homelessness in Charlottesville is growing, putting mounting pressure on the city to take action.

“We can’t wait until that point,” Wilson said about the low-barrier shelter’s completion. “We just move forward.”

For Jerry Morrison, it’s a priority. Morrison first walked through the doors of the Salvation Army in September, after struggling with an alcohol addiction and leaving incarceration.

“I came here, I had nowhere to go,” Morrison said. “They gave me food, shelter, gave me resources to find a job...They give you all the resources you need, but it’s up to you to do it.”

Now, Morrison has been sober for nearly two years and is planning to return to the Salvation Army as a volunteer.

“It’s all about helping, it’s all about picking you up when you’re down,” Morrison said. “It’s all about giving you a fresh start...I give it all to God.”

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