Agents of Hope. . . Building Compassion
The vision of the Sheboygan Area Salvation Army is to join with the community, as agents of hope, to enhance comprehensive, Christ-centered services that promote self-sufficiency.
The Need
For nearly 115 years, The Salvation Army has provided comfort to Sheboygan County residents in need. Located in downtown Sheboygan, the Corps provides a wide variety of programs and services addressing basic human necessities at no cost, including a homeless shelter, housing assistance center, transitional living program, health clinic, food pantry, day care center, youth programs, family thrift store and more. The Army has administered these programs and services effectively in spite of the serious limitations of its present environment. Program expansion, combined with increasing needs in the community, have rendered the current facility inadequate and outdated.
For example, the food pantry is located in the lower level of the building. Donations are brought in the back door, down an elevator and across a hall to the pantry. From there, volunteers sort items and stock them on the shelves. Food parcels are packed, carted back upstairs and distributed to clients. 13,117 bags of food were given away in 2008.
Our medical clinic is also located in the lower level of the building. Clients enter the first floor before going down a flight of stairs to be pre-screened by a nurse and seen by a doctor. Once their visit is complete, clients come back upstairs and finalize their paperwork with the volunteer in the clinic office. If a client with a handicap or injury is unable to use the stairs, the elevator is at the far end of the building through several locked doors-a true inconvenience. Our volunteer nurses and doctors saw 1,172 uninsured residents of Sheboygan County last year.
Reversely, our homeless shelter is located on the second floor. Clients with small children using strollers, handicapped and those hauling their belongings up to the shelter storage have difficulty navigating the stairway. The shelter currently has 21 beds but is often times housing more clients in an overflow area. Strict rules are in place to ensure everyone's safety. However, dividing the various populations in the shelter would be best.
It is clear that the overcrowded conditions are a significant obstacle to continuing programs. At the same time, it delays The Salvation Army from being able to respond to the community's most pressing needs, particularly those who are in need of emergency shelter, food, health services and a helping hand in returning to a path of self-sufficiency.
The Plan
After several years of research and planning, including a community needs assessment and feasibility study, the Sheboygan Salvation Army is proposing a plan to overcome these obstacles. The most appropriate approach is to construct a 16,400 square foot addition while renovating sections of the current facility.
The newly constructed addition will provide improved space and greater opportunities for several different programs and services. The Emergency Shelter will expand its facility from 21 beds to 35, with men housed on a separate floor from women and families; the Red Shield Free Clinic will move from being split between two floors, to offering all of its services on one floor; and for the first time, the social service offices will be clustered together in order to better meet the needs of our clients. Furthermore, the addition of fourteen parking spaces next to the building will be the first time our clients and volunteers will have the opportunity to park close to the building without meters.
The renovations to the current facility will allow better use of the building. The first change will offer a more convenient one-level food pantry with additional storage for streamlined operations and easier client use. The administrative offices, which have been scattered throughout the building, will be grouped together for more efficiency, and the reception area will be centralized for better client flow. In addition, the plans also include adding much needed HVAC work throughout the building.
An outstanding campaign cabinet has been organized from throughout Sheboygan County under the leadership of chairpersons Barbara Knauf, Richard Bemis, and Janice Homiston. A community campaign will be conducted over approximately eight months to secure the funds required to make this dream a reality.
Proposed Components
Land Acquisition $80,000
Site Preparation $50,000
New Construction $1,980,000
Renovation $724,500
Equipment & Furnishings $4,095
Professional Fees $216,360
Contingency $270,045
Short Term Financing --
Campaign Costs $175,000
Total $3,500,000
Naming Opportunities
Several areas of this project, whether they be public areas or private, may be designated as a name-sake with a gift to our campaign in the following amount. This is a great way to show the community your support through corporate gifts, foundations or memorials.
Please consider one of the following:
New Addition $1,750,000
Emergency Shelter $1,000,000
Food Pantry $500,000
Medical Clinic $500,000
Shelter Dining Area $150,000
Reception Area $85,000
Shelter Family Suite $85,000
Shelter Dorm Room [2] $85,000 each
Board Room $50,000
Social Service Offices [7] $35,000 each
Administrative Offices [7] $30,000 each
Shelter Bedrooms [8] $25,000 each
How to Give
Your gift is tax deductible.
Make your pledge on-line
click on the "donation now" box on the right
Stop in The Salvation Army Office and drop off your gift
710 Pennsylvania Avenue, Sheboygan
Mail your check or money order to:
The Salvation Army
PO Box 1207
Sheboygan, WI 53082-1207
The Salvation Army appreciates all you do for your community.