Picture Cutline: The Salvation Army held a joint ribbon cutting at the site of the future Moody Family Corps Community Center in Texas City on September 6. Visible L-R are Doreen Hughes, Chris Doyle, Phil Roberts, Captains Patrick & Jennifer Jones, Ruth Rendon, Gina Spagnola, Steve Paterson, Leonard Woolsey and Allan Matthews.
Change of Plans for Salvation Army Community Center
Texas City (September 2018) – Supporters of The Salvation Army were surprised to learn recently that the Groundbreaking ceremony they had on their calendar for the new Moody Family Corps Community Center had been changed into a ribbon cutting.
“Life threw us a curveball,” Chris Doyle, Campaign Chair, shared with the crowd on September 6 at the Mainland Church of Christ. “Right as we were about to file for our construction permits, Pastor Robert Goolsby came to us and asked if we would be interested in purchasing this facility verses building one right beside it.”
“I was a bit taken aback because we had been working on this project for over four years and I wanted to see it come to life,” recalls Doyle. “Captains Patrick and Jennifer Jones came to see me. Jennifer was convinced it was a sign from the Lord, and after awhile, I came to believe it, too.
“My number one priority has always been to be a good steward of donor money. So although this has a lot to do with faith, it is also true that costs have increased significantly since we put our original estimates together several years ago. We were looking at taking on debt with new construction. We met with Pastor Goolsby and the elders and agreed on a price to purchase that is fair to both of us. This transaction will sustain the Mainland Church of Christ for the future. I don’t ever want to see a great church like this leave a community of mine, and I believe in my heart that this transaction will keep them here into the future. I want to thank them for bringing us the opportunity. I believe it’s an opportunity for them as well.”
Captain Patrick Jones told the crowd that the new facility will be used to reach out to the youth of the community, building their character so they can grow up to be fantastic citizens. The new community center will offer afterschool and summer day camp activities.
Renovation of the facility will begin immediately. The Salvation Army hopes to be ready to offer services by mid-2019.
Representatives from the Texas City-LaMarque, Galveston and League City Chambers of Commerce were on hand for a joint ribbon cutting along with donors, elected officials, members of the Advisory Board and Women’s Auxiliary and a number of community partners. Hey Mikey’s provided ice cream for the celebrants. More than 60 people came out in the rain to mark the occasion.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 81 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.
