Salvation Army back serving the public at new location

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on June 29, 2022.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Majors Donna and Don Bladen were all smiles as the Salvation Army thrift store opened at a new location Tuesday morning nearly two years after closing down because of COVID-19 restrictions.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

It was the forerunner of the social service agencies that exist today and the Salvation Army is back in business with its thrift store in Lethbridge.
Situated for many years on 3 Avenue South where the old casino was located, the Salvation Army store closed six months after COVID-19 hit.
With the organization leasing the space, the Salvation Army here wasn’t sure what the future would hold but on Tuesday, it became clear when doors opened in a new location at 1811 2 Ave. S.
That building is owned by the Salvation Army and already houses its community family services operations, major Don Bladen said Tuesday morning.
The return of the store, which accepts donations from the public, was warmly greeted by throngs of people who lined up outside before 10 a.m.
The new facility is just under 5,000 square feet in size and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The Salvation Army was started in England in 1865 when a minister named William Booth began taking his message to the destitute, homeless, poor and hungry, according to the organization’s website.
It started serving the needy in Canada in 1898 and has been in Lethbridge since 1898, said Bladen, a Lethbridge resident along with wife Donna for the past four years. The first meetings were staged by Captain Annie Hurts in a building on 5 St. S.
Its Christmas kettle campaign, one of the Salvation Army’s most visible endeavours, has raised money for more than 125 years to help provide services.
“We had every intention of reopening” after COVID, said Bladen.
“Of course, the previous location we didn’t own the building and the costs were becoming quite significant to no fault of anybody particularly, just the marketplace. Then of course COVID hit and we still lease payments to make and so forth. So we had to sort of scramble and just figure things out,” the major added.
“The cost doing business and the impact COVID had on us and the entire marketplace just sort of forced our hand. But we had every intention of reopening. We weren’t exactly sure where but obviously the answer’s been sorted out now,” added the major.
Having the store and family services at the same address helps the organization serve the public better, said the major.
“All they have to do is walk out one door and walk in another, added the major.
“We’re incredibly pleased with the outcome; the new space is bright, it’s beautiful and it’s inviting. We see no reason why we’re not going to be able to move forward” to support the community, said Bladen.
“The Salvation Army is really a forerunner to much of the social services developed across the world,” he said of the organization.
“We’re very proud of our history.”
The city operation supports Lethbridge and all of southwestern Alberta. There is another one in Medicine Hat.
“We support whoever has a need but primarily speaking, the residents of Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta are typically the ones we would serve,” said the major.

Follow @albeebHerald on Twitter

Comments are closed.