Kris Harmon and Major Kelly Nolan of the Salvation Army stand for a photograph in the chapel at the Salvation Army church on E. Third Street, downtown The Dalles. The church and thrift shop in The Dalles are closing as the organization begins transitioning in The Dalles to a social services center. Mark B. Gibson photo
Kris Harmon and Major Kelly Nolan of the Salvation Army stand for a photograph in the chapel at the Salvation Army church on E. Third Street, downtown The Dalles. The church and thrift shop in The Dalles are closing as the organization begins transitioning in The Dalles to a social services center. Mark B. Gibson photo
THE DALLES — The Salvation Army thrift store on E. Third Street, downtown The Dalles, has closed as the Salvation Army Corps begins a transition to a social services center. Church operations, held at the same location, will also end.
“It’s been exciting, it’s been challenging, it’s been chaotic,” said Kris Harmon, business manager for The Dalles location. “We’re excited to grow, improve and modernize our services,” she said. The Dalles Salvation Army will continue to provide the social services they currently provide — only the church and thrift shop will be closed, she added.
Programs that will remain active include the food pantry, back-to-school events, holiday assistance, emergency disaster response, prevention assistance and other services identified as needs shift and funding allows.
In the short term, the food bank and other services will continue out of the current facility at 623 E. Third St., which is owned by the Salvation Army. In the long term, leaders are looking to move to a new facility that is better suited to providing social services.
“This building is overkill for the services we will be providing, and isn’t really suitable,” said Harmon, whose new title will be service center director once the thrift shop closes Aug. 31.
Speaking in The Dalles, Major Kelly Nolan, divisional project officer for the Salvation Army Corps based in Happy Valley, said that once they move to a new facility, they hope to transition the food bank to a “client choice” model, which provides a store-like environment for selecting foods, rather than pre-packaged boxes. “We’ll continue as we are now, and expand after we move,” he explained.
Nolan said that over the past four or five years, fewer and fewer church members were attending services at the Third Street chapel. “During the pandemic, people got used to streaming services, and they are slow to return to (in-person) services,” he explained.
Streamed services will remain available, and there will be occasional in-person gatherings for local members as well, he said. Harmon added that some gatherings, like the women’s weekly bible study, will also continue unchanged.
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In a press release, Major Nancy Dihle, Cascade Division commander, noted that the transition is necessary because worship activities have declined, but the rising costs of living, coupled with population growth rates, suggest the demand for social services will persist and likely increase.
“With the transition of the Thrift Store and Corps to a modernized social services center, we are streamlining our efforts and increasing our ability to fight food insecurity and prevent homelessness through prevention assistance programs,” Dihle said. “Additionally, The Salvation Army will continue to facilitate the traditional holiday meal and support families during Christmas through the Angel Tree program. The Salvation Army will remain a strong provider of Emergency Disaster Services when needed.”
The Salvation Army has a long history in The Dalles, dating back to 1889.
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