Beckley Salvation Army construction on homestretch

BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - After nearly 24 months of non-stop construction, the Beckley Salvation Army on Robert C Byrd Drive is only weeks away from debuting its $6.5 million facility to the community.

This new location will feature a social services wing, classrooms, a large gymnasium and a state-of-the-art kitchen. Salvation Army leaders say it’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

“We’re going from worst to first,” laughed Captain Liz Blusiewicz, Commanding Officer of the Salvation Army in Beckley.

As they prepare to move from their current location on South Fayette Street, Captain Blusiewicz tells WVVA they are opening a door of possibilities for Beckley.

“Our building, currently, was built in 1938,” she explained. “It’s not ADA accessible. It’s three stories. It’s been a great building for the last 90-some years but...it’s not serving what we need it to. We want a place that everyone can come, everyone can feel welcome, and that’s big enough for us to do what we really need to do, which is serve people.”

She says this new location will be the home of the county’s first Boys and Girls Club. The club will be open to K through 12th-grade students on weekday evenings. While it will give them a place to hang out after school, Captain Blusiewicz hopes it will also become a place where they can better themselves.

“This is just a game changer for us because we’ll be able to welcome kids in and to, hopefully, break generational poverty by giving, you know, at-risk youth an opportunity to be exposed to things...Before, they were just sitting on the couch watching Netflix or playing Roblox or something, and now they can come here, and Salvation Army can be home for them.”

In addition to local youth, the Salvation Army hopes to be a community space for senior citizen clubs, sports practices, exercise classes and more, all while continuing its day-to-day efforts of helping community members with utility assistance and handing out food boxes.

The Salvation Army still needs to install the building’s heat, lay down the gym floor and obtain the proper permits to open. Captain Blusiewicz is hopeful they can move in next month and welcome the community with open arms in April. The Salvation Army will be hosting a moving sale at their old location on South Fayette Street on Saturday, March 2. Pews, office supplies and even appliances will be up for grabs as they work to relocate across town.

The organization is also currently accepting registration for its Boys and Girls Club, as well as its eight-week summer camp, which, through sponsorships, is free this year. Call 304-253-9541 to learn more or register.

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