Salvation Army close to opening new Center of Hope

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Construction on the Salvation Army’s new Center for Hope off MLK Parkway in Wilmington may soon be finished.

WWAY last toured the facility back in January.

Since then, construction has moved along, and now they’re just doing the final touches to the building’s interior.

Major Ken Morris with the Salvation Army said the project is about 90% complete.

Most of the kitchen equipment is in place, the bathrooms are nearly fully furnished, and the rooms are getting their final coat of paint.

Morris said the center will be able to house a large number of people and serve as a shelter during extreme weather.

“Total maximum capacity of residents is 75, and then we’re hoping to bring maybe even up to 100 additional folks for emergency disaster.”

The center will hold 38 men, 12 women, and the remaining spots will be split among 6 to 8 families.

Morris added that people stating there must show initiative in moving forward with their lives.

“This is a transitional program where they always have to be transitioning,” Morris said. “Every week or at least every other week, they are talking with a life skills person, with a social worker. And they have to show us where they are actually showing improvement, whether its looking for a job, whether it’s saving their money, whether it’s looking for housing.”

But in the end, Morris said the center will be a place where the less fortunate can learn , support and grow alongside one another.

“It was exciting in the previous shelter when someone would come back with a job or somebody would come back and they’d found a place to live. Everyone would kind of celebrate with them and encourage one another as they were looking for jobs, looking for places. And so, yeah, they become like a big family.”

Morris added they have begun ordering furniture for the rooms, but they can’t place anything in the shelter until after they have done a finalized inspection, which he expects to happen sometime in May, with the Center opening shortly thereafter.