Salvation Army Gets Closer to Permanent Homeless Shelter

While many of us have a place to call home, many people on the Gulf Coast do not, and the Salvation Army has a plan in the works to help that.

Since Hurricane Katrina destroyed the original shelter almost a decade ago, the Salvation Army has been working hard to give the homeless a new place to call home. The shelter will be the first of its kind in Harrison County. Laura Bianco, Public Relations for the Salvation Army, says, "We desperately need somewhere where families can go together. Men, women, and children can come and stay together. It’s important for the family unit to stay together and stay in the same room, and we’re able to provide that for families here in south Mississippi."

The Center of Hope will also provide many services the residents will need to get back on their feet. Bianco also says, "They will have classes that they will go to to learn different skills. We’ll help them find a job. We’ll provide daycare. We also will provide mental and alcohol abuse help."

The Salvation Army plans to build on the same location where they began providing services to the Gulfport area in 1926, and while it may look empty now, within the next year, the framework should go up for the new shelter. Bianco also says, "We had this before Katrina, and Hurricane Katrina took our building, and we have been working hard since Hurricane Katrina to raise the funds, to raise the awareness of needing it again."

Not everyone thinks rebuilding in the same location will be ideal for the homeless or the City of Gulfport. Lynda Favre, founder of Shepherd of the Gulf, says, "It would be a good idea to get them away from the downtown area, I think, because they’ll have more chances, and you know what, it just takes a bus or two to get them right back into the area for work, so it’s not like they’re being put on another planet."

The Salvation Army has raised over $3.3 million for construction and is still waiting for permits from the city to start building.