RICHMOND, Va. — The Salvation Army is pushing to rebuild its Center of Hope facility at 1900 Chamberlayne Avenue, with Henrico County committing $900,000 to help make it happen.
The planned expansion would nearly double the current shelter's capacity and be built within the footprint of the existing inclement weather shelter.
Salvation Army Development Director Lionel Bacon said the current facility has served the Richmond area for years, but it is no longer enough.
"It's been here for a long time and it's outdated. Our plan is to tear it completely down and rebuild it right."
Bacon said the urgency is personal. He pointed to a death that happened just two miles from the shelter's front door.
"January 27th, a man froze to death here in Richmond at 3900 Chamberlayne. We're at 1900 Chamberlayne. That's 20 blocks. That's two miles," Bacon said.
The building at 1900 Chamberlayne has a long history before becoming a shelter.
"It's been a lot of things, it's been a church, it's been a school, it's been a data center, back when Wachovia was right next door," Bacon said.
But Bacon said he sees the space not for what it was, but for what it can become.
"It's about the person having dignity when they walk in here," Bacon said.
Henrico County Deputy County Manager for Community Affairs Monica Smith-Callahan said the county's $900,000 investment, spread over four years, reflects a shared responsibility.
"We have to all say that this is everybody's problem and we want to do our part. A small part," Smith-Callahan said.
She said the expansion will bring more than just beds.
"This expands it and gives an opportunity for more to be served and to have additional resources like laundry and showers and just dignity!" Smith-Callahan said.
Henrico's commitment, combined with a $7 million investment from the City of Richmond, puts the Salvation Army just under $2 million shy of its $15 million fundraising goal, which it hopes to reach by the end of the year.
Bacon said the burden of addressing homelessness cannot fall on any single organization or locality.
"It's not a Richmond problem, it's a state of Virginia issue that the Salvation Army needs partners to help address," Bacon said.
Back in October, Richmond and Henrico were joined by Chesterfield and Hanover counties to invest in Caritas, a surge shelter that operated from December to March. At this time, Hanover County says it is not involved with the fundraising efforts for the Center of Hope expansion. In 2024, Chesterfield said it was leaving the door open for future investments in the shelter.
Bacon said he remains hopeful more support is coming.
"You know it's our hope that other municipalities will join in as well," Bacon said.
For Bacon, the work is driven by something deeper than fundraising.
"I raise money because I feel like these are my people," Bacon said. "It's not 'Those people,' it's our people. Until you've actually walked in here and seen our brothers and sisters who are struggling… It feels different."
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