The Salvation Army serving Lee, Hendry and Glades counties, will break ground on a five-year, multi-structure Center of Hope campus, encompassing four city blocks in Fort Myers, on Dec. 16, at 9 a.m.
The groundbreaking event for Phase 1 will take place at the corner of Central Avenue and Willard Street, adjacent to the current Center of Hope building.
The population of Fort Myers is expected to grow 20 percent by 2030. To meet this anticipated need, The Salvation Army is preparing the social infrastructure necessary to support the community.
“The year 2026 will mark 75 years of The Salvation Army serving people here in the Fort Myers area. Over the next five years, we will construct not only new buildings, but, more importantly, we will expand the services of The Salvation Army, positioning us to provide transformational services that improve the quality of life for individuals in this community long into the future,” said Major Ethan Frizzell, Salvation Army of Fort Myers Area Commander.
Phase 1 of the new campus involves three new structures:
• Phase 1:1 Supportive Housing Solutions: traditional shelter services for seniors, families, men and women
Through short-term emergency shelters, transitional living centers, group homes, and family shelters, nationally, The Salvation Army provides more than 8 million nights of lodging annually.
A restorative community, the Center of Hope offers shelter to vulnerable populations, improving their lives and the vitality of the community.
• Phase 1:2 Community Connector: public weather shelter, community meeting space, meal development, dining room
This Community Connector is a Hurricane-Rated Public Safety Shelter. Built to the highest standards, it is designed as a welcoming space for up to 150 people during crises and weather events.
The Salvation Army knows that food insecurity is one of the first results of crisis. This dining hall is designed to be the communal hub of the campus, where nourishment and restorative relationships can be realized in safe fellowship.
• Phase 1:3 Life Recovery: addiction recovery, department of corrections, bureau of prisons, dual diagnosis
For more than 100 years, The Salvation Army has operated life rehabilitation facilities across the country that provide help and hope for individuals with a variety of problems, including issues relating to substance abuse, mental health, and regular incarceration. The organization’s charitable residential programs offer spiritual, emotional, and social assistance in an environment designed to help participants live healthy, fulfilling lives. Its prioritization is restoration in the community with family, faith, and expectations of a shared quality of life.
For more details regarding the long-term plans for the Center of Hope campus, contact David Asselin at 239-208-2245 or David.Asselin@uss.salvationarmy.org.
Learn more about The Salvation Army in Fort Myers.