The Savannah Community Foundation has donated $250,000 from a donor advised fund to The Salvation Army of Savannah. This generous donation from an anonymous donor will help The Salvation Army (TSA) build for the future as it anticipates further increases in a need for its services in the aftermath of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.  

$150,000 of this donation will go towards the urgently needed renovation of TSA’s Community Center on Savannah’s Bee Rd.  The roof of this 27-year-old building is in a serious condition of disrepair and is impacting on its future as a safe gathering place, especially during these times of social distancing. Due to the pandemic, the community center is currently being used as an additional shelter for the rising number of people who are facing homelessness and as an additional feeding center for children. The Community Center also serves as recreational space for TSA shelter residents and those in The Salvation Army’s free rehabilitation program which helps those facing the challenges of drug and alcohol abuse rise above their circumstances.  The Community Center plays a vital role in many of the regular programs TSA provides for the community, which will resume when it is safe to do so, such as the after school program that offers meals, tutoring, and recreational activities to children as well as a summer day camp, a senior citizen program and a chapel for worship services and Sunday school.   The community center is also made available for the community to hold activities such as Zumba classes, karate, kickball, a music program for children to learn piano and more. The roof is just the first of many renovations that need to be made at the Community Center, but these funds will assist The Salvation Army in ensuring that it can continue to be a safe haven for those who need it most in our community.

"This amazing donation gives us the opportunity to make substantial improvements to the infrastructure of our community center. We will be able to run much more efficiently for months and years to come. This gift is obviously a huge blessing to those we serve but also to all of our donors whose gifts are now able to be used even more effectively. And on behalf of our staff and volunteers that during these difficult days have stepped up in remarkable ways to meet the needs of our neighbors, I just can’t express what an encouragement it is to have someone say to us that they believe this much in what we are doing,” said The Salvation Army of Savannah’s Major Paul Egan.

The remainder of the donation will be used to support TSA’s emergency response during this extraordinary time in history. This vital support comes at a challenging time for TSA in Savannah as donations levels are lower than normal and the significant income from TSA’s stores has stopped because all retail outlets have been closed during the lockdown. The Salvation Army is providing much needed housing, food, and spiritual and practical care for local individuals and families suffering significant economic and social hardships.

The local nonprofit offers services in adult rehabilitation, basic needs, emergency disaster relief, emergency financial assistance, housing and homeless services, hunger relief, and youth care. Donations like this from The Savannah Community Foundation will help The Salvation Army provide support to those whose wages are gone, those who need food, those who have no place to call home, and many others who desperately need help and hope.

The Salvation Army of Georgia’s Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel William G. Mockabee, commented on this significant donation to Savannah’s Salvation Army, “I have been made aware of the incredibly generous donation given to The Salvation Army through the Savannah Community Foundation by an anonymous donor. In all my years working in the not-for-profit sector, it has always been very difficult for me to express in words how grateful I am for the generosity of our stakeholders. This donation will go a long way in allowing us to meet the missional purposes of The Salvation Army which is to help men and women, boys and girls, in a holistic approach. The Salvation Army has an expression of service in every county in the State of Georgia. During this current time of COVID-19, as the State Commander of The Salvation Army, I have been very moved to the core of my being with the great work that is being done by our officers, employees and volunteers. This generous donation continues to motivate us to do the most good as we use the resources as well as meeting the needs of the people that come to us. This will help to significantly change people’s lives.”