The Salvation Army of Northeast Florida offered a behind-the-scenes tour of its program facilities Thursday. Members of the community gathered at the organization’s Senior Center — the city’s oldest, longest serving facility — to begin the tour.
The second stop was the Child Development Center which is licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families and holds an accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The facility offers education and care for diverse groups of children, including the homeless.
From the Child Development Center, more than 20 people traveled by bus to the Towers Memorial Social Services Center, which offers social service and community referrals, Christmas and Holiday assistance, disaster services and houses the Mobile Canteen Night Feeding unit, the Crisis Relief Food Pantry and the “Fresh Air” Summer Residential Camp.
The next stop on the tour was the Salvation Army’s Beach Boulevard Adult Rehabilitation Center which includes a thrift store, work therapy programs and substance abuse recovery programs.
“One in nine people will be touched by the Salvation Army this year,” said Maj. Jim Seiler, area commander of Northeast Florida. “Whether it’s ringing a bell or receiving a hot meal, the Salvation Army will be a part of their lives. No other nonprofit in the world touches lives as specifically and on as large a scale as the Salvation Army.”