(Seguin) — The local unit of the Salvation Army has a new location – a location that volunteers say is not only more visible but will be easier for individuals and families to access. The Salvation Army office has recently made the move from the Mosaic Church on West Court to 205 N. King St.
Speaking on behalf of the Salvation Army is volunteer and local Chaplain Tom Jones. Jones says not only has the office moved near a busier intersection in town, but it is also now located next door to the Community Council of South-Central Texas, another non-profit that works to support the community with important needs.
“I truly believe that the Lord guides and directs us even when we don’t even know better. So back in June,
It was decided that we really needed to find another place. We were over at the Mosaic Church and that has been a great location. We really enjoyed being there, but we decided we needed another place and so our board started searching for places and found this over here on King Street. It is a great location. It’s much more traffic. It’s in the center of activity. The bus comes by there and so for our clients that have difficulty with transportation, it’s much more convenient for them so we are very excited about our new location because a lot of the folks that Community Council addresses can go right next door and get more immediate help so (it’s) long term assistance through the Community Council and the Salvation Army is more kind of the immediate, emergency kind of assistance,” said Jones.
Jones says this new move has also allowed a better workspace for both volunteers and the families that they serve.
“Years ago, we had a benefactor that gave money for capital for the Salvation Army, and we have never really been able to utilize that for anything but with this move, we’ve actually doubled our space. We actually have some new furniture that we purchased so it’s a very professional atmosphere, a very professional office because I believe our volunteers, they needed a very comfortable environment in which to volunteer but also our clients — those are people who are needing assistance — they deserve a nice, beautiful place to come and receive that assistance,” said Jones.
Jones says the Salvation Army plays a vital role in addressing those obstacles that come up for most of us but that are often times a bit more challenging for others.
“It’s really a wide spectrum of assistance. So, we can help with utilities, rent, we can help with gas expenses, just everyday living expenses, groceries – we can help with a lot of different areas. So, it’s very hard to say this is what we do because we get funds at different times for different purposes but basically that’s the big thing is the utilities, rent, gas, groceries,” said Jones
The relocation of the Salvation Army office comes three months before the location organization is set to launch its annual Holiday Kettle Campaign outside the Seguin Walmart store. Jones says volunteers will once again be ringing those bells and collecting donations in those red kettles. He says the campaign begins on Black Friday and runs through Christmas Eve.
“That’s a major fundraiser that we have is the Kettle Campaign. Seguin and this county is one of the most generous places that I’ve ever lived — $40,000 is what we will collect during that time and throughout the year, we give every bit of that away,” said Jones.
The Salvation Army office is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m.