Salvation Army Dedication

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Page 2 – SALVATION ARMY, Suffolk News-Herald, Tuesday, September 17, 2013

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SALVATION ARMY, Suffolk News-Herald, Tuesday, September 17, 2013 – Page 3 r.e. spears iii/ suffolk news-herald

New building: From left, Bobby Harrell, Capt.

James Shiels and Jay Butler have all been instrumental in the construction effort at the new Salvation Army community center, which is located beside the Suffolk Corps’ main office on Bank Street.

Below, right, the “Path to Health and Hope” features bricks bought by individuals, clubs and other community organizations to help support the project. Bricks are still available for purchase.

'Birthday gift to the city'

By Titus Mohler Staff Writer

The new community center opening in Suffolk will be what project Chairman Bobby Harrell calls the Salvation Army’s “birthday gift to the city,” to be enjoyed by local participants in the facility’s programs to develop the community’s physical health and educa'We designed the tion.

Harrell, who is also center around the capital campaign chairsaid there is nothprograms that we man, ing coincidental or random about the activities need for that set to take place at the community.' center.

“We designed the center around the programs Bobby Harrell that we need for that Project Chairman community,” he said.

Construction Chairman Jay Butler said, “The initial idea that grew is when the city tore down Birdsong Recreation Center, it was quite obvious it left a huge void in the CMYK

downtown area in having a place for kids to go.”

Butler said the Salvation Army Suffolk Corps Advisory Board, for which he is the incoming chairman, got the idea about six years ago that “we should try to fill that void. It’s evolved from there.”

Jim Shiels is a captain in the Salvation Army and manages the Suffolk Corps, and he will manage the facility.

Three programs the new center will offer include an athletics program with opportunities for youths and adults, a computer program aiding in computer literacy and a senior program providing exercise opportunities.

Harrell said the mission of the computer program “is to try to help those kids that do not have a computer at home and are not computer literate (to) compete in the classroom.”

He said according to the latest See GIFT, 8

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FACTS AND FIGURES n About six years in the planning n Designed by architect Randy Hicks n Site work drawings by ParrishLayne Design Group n 24,345 square feet of floor space (including 6,345 square-foot mezzanine) n Full basketball court with two side courts n Exercise center on the mezzanine level n Computer lab, known as the “Computer Gymnasium” n Male and female locker rooms

n Classroom can be separated with dividers, support classrooms n Health room n Staff offices n Project cost: about $2 million, from various donors n General contractor: CPG n Site work contractor: Sitework South n Flooring contractor: Tile and Terrazzo n Construction began in January 2012 Source: Jay Butler

Page 4 – SALVATION ARMY, Suffolk News-Herald, Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Christmas area named after Clatterbucks

By Tracy Agnew News Editor

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Maj. Cal Clatterbuck, the former Salvation Army officer in Suffolk, was head of the entire Salvation Army program locally, but he had a special place in his heart for the Christmas program.

And for good reason. It was on a Christmas Eve when he was a child that he had his first contact with the Salvation Army, when an officer of the organization trekked through a bitter cold night to the Virginia mountain home he shared with his 12 siblings and their grandparents to bring food and toys.

Now Clatterbuck’s connection to the Salvation Army’s Christmas program will be immortalized in the building to be dedicated today.

The Maj. Cal and Irene Clatterbuck Christmas Pavilion, part of the new building, will serve as a headquarters for the Christmas programs operated by the Salvation Army, including the annual toy shop.

The Clatterbucks were officers here for six years until Cal Clatterbuck’s mandatory retirement in June.

“They were the officers here during the development and the idea for the new center and the vision for the new center and what we needed to do for the com-

munity,” said building chairman Bobby Harrell. “And they did a great job with the Christmas program.”

After that initial contact on Christmas Eve with the Salvation Army, Clatterbuck felt drawn to an evangelistic meeting about six years later. He found that the evangelist was the same Salvation Army officer who had visited his home that Christmas Eve. Clatterbuck became a Christian and began volunteering in the Salvation Army. He later began working with them full-time and lasted 33 years before his age-related retirement.

The couple had four children and a foster child and now have 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

They were stationed all over the eastern half of the United States, from Florence, Ala., to Logan, W.Va. “They saved the best for last,” Clatterbuck said in June. “I believe that Suffolk has probably been one of the best appointments I’ve ever been in.”

The reason is simple. It’s what he believes should be the city’s motto.

“People helping people,” he said. “I wish they would just catch onto that phrase. You have people out there helping people every day. Most of the time people come together in disaster, but in Suffolk it’s an everyday deal.”

file photos

Christmas programs: Above, Maj. Cal Clatterbuck, right, receives a plaque from Salvation Army board member Bobby Harrell during a going-away party held by the Suffolk corps’ board of directors. The mezzanine of the new building will be used for Toys for Tots distribution at Christmas and has been named after Clatterbuck and his wife Irene because of their close connection to that program. At left, a Salvation Army volunteer helps a woman choose toys at the annual Toys for Tots giveaway, held in cooperation with the Salvation Army.

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SALVATION ARMY, Suffolk News-Herald, Tuesday, September 17, 2013 – Page 5

courtesy of the suffolk nansemond historical society

Old headquarters: The Salvation Army Suffolk Corps' former headquarters at 400 Bank St. was a house that was believed to have belonged to the Lilliston family, according to the historical society.

This building was later demolished for the headquarters building on the same site.

Salvation Army celebrates 100 years

By Tracy Agnew News Editor

The Salvation Army Suffolk corps didn’t really plan to open its new building during its 100th anniversary; it just happened, building chairman Bobby Harrell said.

“We just found it out going through some old papers,” he said. “It worked out pretty well.”

The corps will note the anniversary during the building dedication today.

“This building is the Salvation Army’s gift back to Suffolk for the 100 years of support,” Harrell said. “We’re pleased it will be available to this community. We’re just pleased it’s all coming together.”

According to Capt. Jim Shiels, the corps was officially opened Feb. 6, 1913. There is a CMYK

records gap from 1916 to 1924, so nobody is sure if the corps closed or simply the records don’t exist.

In 1924, Ensign Blanche Broadribb and Lt. Goldier Highfield started at the corps.

They were followed in June 1926 by Capt. and Mrs. Harry Robinson.

“We’re very excited to be a part of not only the 100th anniversary of the Salvation Army in Suffolk, but also the opening of the building,” said Shiels, the latest in the string of officers of the corps. “We are at a turning point of the Salvation Army in the community. The work has been phenomenal up to this point, and it’s a new day.”

“We look forward to having a good long stay here and being a part of the community,” he added.

courtesy of the suffolk nansemond historical society

For kids: Dated Sept. 7, 1948, this photo shows a group of children in front of the Salvation Army's former headquarters.

The children appear to be on their way to some sort of program.

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Page 6 – SALVATION ARMY, Suffolk News-Herald, Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Celebration to usher in new era

By Matthew A. Ward Staff Writer

The dedication of the new Salvation Army building Tuesday will be a cause for celebration, says Capt. James Shiels, head of the organization’s Suffolk Corps.

Beginning at 2 p.m., about 200 people are expected to come to together at 400 Bank St., for about an hour of speeches and a first look at the new facility, Shiels said.

The Salvation Army’s divisional commander for Virginia, Lt. Col. John Jones, will lead the ceremony.

“We will have many representatives from our divisional and leadership staff,” Shiels said.

He said board members, community volunteers and

R.E. SPEARS III/SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD

Grand opening: Tuesday’s grand opening celebration at the Salvation Army’s new community center at 400 Bank Street is expected to attract 200 visitors, including members of the Army’s divisional and leadership staff, as well as the Salvation Army Brass Band from Washington, D.C.

Salvation Army employees would all be in attendance.

One of the ceremony’s exciting aspects will be the first

official basketball shot out on the court, according to Shiels.

Video displays in the large classroom with audio-visual

capabilities will cover the construction of the building, history of the Salvation Army at the site and different programs offered to the community.

Salvation Army staff will be spread throughout the building to answer questions and guide attendees around, Shiels said.

A special treat will be the Salvation Army Brass Band, down from Washington and “one of the best in the country,” Shiels said.

Representatives from the youth program’s dance team will also pay a visit, he said, adding that folks representing funding sources, the “foundations and individuals who helped build the building,” will also be in attendance.

Parking will be available in Bank and side streets, in lots behind and at the front of the

building, and in the building’s 36-space parking lot.

“The dedication will be very celebration-oriented,” Shiels said.

“We believe this building is a cornerstone to a new age of community service in our neighborhood.

“We have this huge neighborhood (with) young people and seniors who really could use this type of activities center.

“This is a real steppingstone to increase the work of the Salvation Army and to increase the ability of the community.”

The Salvation Army did not formerly have the space to offer the programs for seniors and youth that it wanted to, Shiels said.

“Now that we have that extra space, it’s just going to be phenomenal,” he said.

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4Bell ringing

file photos

The bells: Christmas bell-ringing is one of the most visible programs of the Salvation Army. Above left, outside the North Suffolk Walmart on Christmas Eve morning in 2012, Smithfield’s Maxine Hill, 67, pushes a donation into Salvation Army bell-ringer Antonette Johnson’s collection bucket. Above right, Randy Hicks, the architect on the Salvation Army's new building, rings the bell in 2011 assisted by Jacob Belcher.

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SALVATION ARMY, Suffolk News-Herald, Tuesday, September 17, 2013 – Page 7

The name says it all Physical Health and Education Building will be a boon

By Matthew A. Ward Staff Writer

The Salvation Army’s new building on Bank Street is aptly described by its name, said Bobby Harrell, chairman of the committee that steered its development and construction.

Activities and programs at the Physical Health and Education Building will serve the surrounding area’s underprivileged youth and elderly, he said.

For example, children will be able to get pre-school shots and medical exams in the Wellness Room, Harrell said.

In fact, partnerships with Bon Secours, Sentara Obici, Western Tidewater Free Clinic and others will provide various health services, he said, including free blood-pressure checks.

“We will also have workshops on chronic diseases,” Harrell said.

Harrell noted that within one mile of the new building’s location, 51 percent of people survive on limited incomes or

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are below the federal poverty level.

He said that many youths in the area don’t have access at home to a computer and Internet connection, placing them at a distinct disadvantage in today’s modern, connected classrooms.

The new building will thus host computer classes for kids — as well as seniors, who these days need to be able to pay bills and order prescription online — in its “Computer Gymnasium,” providing lessons for 30 kids every six weeks, Harrell said.

“What we are trying to do is help the youth who don’t have a computer at home learn computer literacy, to help them at school,” he said.

The Wellness Center will also have general fitness equipment, such as elliptical machines, exercise bikes and treadmills, which local physical therapist Dr. Tory Bishop helped curate.

“Right now, we have 14 pieces of equipment geared toward seniors,” Harrell said.

file photo

In progress: Construction on the 23,345-square-foot Physical Health and Education Building at the Salvation Army Suffolk corps has progressed a long way from this file photo, taken in February. The building now is mostly complete, though some finishing touches are expected to take more time.

Morning and afternoon walks for seniors will take place around the basketball court, he said.

“We will be keeping people from going to the emergency room,” Harrell said.

“We will be teaching seniors how to deal with chronic diseases, fight obesity and stay in shape.”

Many activities will take place in

three meeting rooms that can be resized into one or two rooms depending on the size of the event, he said.

The Community Action Coalition of Virginia has donated the latest audiovisual and computer equipment, Harrell added.

“Everything in there is set out to be able to be a past-event emergency shelter for downtown Suffolk,” he said.

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Page 8 – SALVATION ARMY, Suffolk News-Herald, Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Gift: New community center built without city, state or federal funds Continued from page 3 census, there are 2,455 kids ages 16 and under who live within one mile of the center. Fifty-one percent of that number fall in the poverty and low-income levels, and many do not have the benefit of a computer at home.

There are many seniors falling in the same categories, as well.

“What your ultimate goal is you want to break the poverty cycle,” he said of the programs.

The computer room at the center will feature an expanded version of the pilot project started two years ago by the Salvation Army through a donation from the Community Action Coalition of Virginia.

“Every single kid’s grades

have improved as part of that program,” Harrell said, and the new facility’s computer room will have 36 computers and two printers, most of which were donated by chemical company BASF. The Salvation Army will partner with Paul D. Camp Community College, which will provide interns to teach the computer literacy classes with faculty oversight.

In exchange, the college will also use the room to hold a regular college computer class in the morning and will use the other meeting rooms in the evening for classes, as well.

Anyone who is taking college credit at Paul D. Camp can attend.

Harrell said this will also

serve the community near the center, which lacks mobility to get to Paul D. Camp’s facilities farther away.

The computer literacy sessions will include 30 kids a night, four nights a week. A meal will be provided each night, followed by instruction and a time in which counselors can help students with homework. Sessions will run for six weeks, allowing for a large number of participants during a short period of time.

The room will also be open on Saturdays for students to work on projects or homework.

Dollar Tree is funding the operation of the computer program. The computer room is stocked with the latest audio/ video equipment, and all the

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Our Sincere Best Wishes To Our Local Salvation Army & Its Great Work in Suffolk

rooms in that area of the facility have wireless Internet, thanks to the Community Action Coalition of Virginia.

In terms of athletic opportunities available, Butler said basketball will be a big point of emphasis, due to the gymnasium, which includes one main court and two cross courts with baskets that can be raised and lowered.

“If the demand is there, we’ll play other sports,” Butler said, citing examples like indoor soccer and volleyball.

Harrell said they hope to work with Suffolk Parks and Recreation on providing youth basketball and even would like to have an Amateur Athletic Union program.

The main gym will be known

as the Birdsong Gymnasium.

“It gives a continuity between the old Birdsong Center and the new facility that we’re doing,” Harrell said.

The Obici Healthcare Senior Exercise Pavilion is where an aerobic exercise program for seniors will be held, complete with equipment.

Local residents will not have to wait long to get started in the programs as Butler said, “We’re hoping to start this month.”

“We’re hoping to have people hired and start playing our programs as soon as we can,” he said. “We’re in the middle of that process right now, so it all should be completed before the end of the month, as far as having our staff in place.”