Center of Hope breaks ground
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By Alicia Petska
Lynchburg News & Advance
Published: May 1, 2008
Gifts from more than 350 donors put the Center of Hope campaign over the top in its quest to raise $5 million, officials said Wednesday.
The center, a Salvation Army project, broke ground Wednesday morning during a ceremony that drew more than 70 people.
Construction is expected to take about 10 months. Once complete, the facility will house the local charity’s four busiest programs, including its homeless shelter and soup kitchen.
The groundbreaking ceremony marked the end of more than 18 months of work on the part of the Salvation Army and a team of community volunteers.
“We’ve been working hard on this thing for the last couple of years,” said Reggie Powell, chairman of the Salvation Army advisory board. “To think now we’ll be back in less than a year for a ribbon-cutting is unbelievable.”
The Center of Hope will provide new and larger facilities for the Salvation Army’s emergency shelter, transitional housing for families, soup kitchen and family services programs.
The 20,000-square-foot building will go up on Park Avenue next to the existing Salvation Army buildings. Naming opportunities are being offered for gifts ranging from $10,000 to $1.25 million.
Mayor Joan Foster, who spoke at the groundbreaking, said this was a much-needed project for the city.
“You do a lot in our community for those who need a day of hope or sometimes a week of hope or a year of hope,” she told organization leaders.
Fundraising totals for the construction of the center exceeded goal by about $65,000, according to the Salvation Army.
Maj. David Cope, the local office commander, thanked contributors for their support.
“What a caring community and a giving community we have,” he said.
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