Women’s and Children’s Shelter Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
The Salvation Army Orlando Area Command is proud to announce the grand reopening of its Women’s and Children’s Shelter, marked by a momentous ribbon-cutting ceremony. The shelter has undergone extensive modernization to enhance its living conditions and services for the women and children it serves throughout the community.
The upgraded facility has been made possible by the Orange County government and the unwavering love, dedication, and financial support from many stakeholders and donors who serve as an extended part of The Salvation Army’s family.
“None of this could be made possible without the incredible sacrifices of our community members. The individuals, families, businesses, and organizations that fight alongside us have made this possible. To those that commit to getting their hands dirty and working alongside us in living out our mission of Doing The Most Good and loving beyond hardship, thank you,” said Captain Ken Chapman, Area Commander, The Salvation Army.
The extensive updates to the Women’s and Children’s Shelter are geared toward providing a safe, welcoming, and high-functioning refuge for women and children to call home as they rebuild their lives.
Some of the modernizations include elevators for accessibility, a fully furnished dining hall, a well-equipped kitchen, ADA-compliant rooms, and bathrooms. The shelter also features a safe-space room ensuring the safety and comfortability for all we serve. To create a fun and inviting atmosphere for children, the shelter features a brand-new playground, computers, and gaming systems.
Through the Women’s and Children’s Shelter, in partnership with Valencia’s School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality, Hebni, and 4Roots, The Salvation Army is excited to introduce its community garden and Seed-to-Table program for its families. This wonderful program assists with The Salvation Army’s efforts to fight food insecurity and is designed to enrich families' lives by promoting sustainable, healthy living through hands-on gardening experiences. The program will strive to increase awareness of, and access to, healthy, fresh ingredients. Through these partnerships, the Seed-to-Table program will also educate participants on how to take freshly grown items and plan, obtain other fresh ingredients for, and prepare nutritious, economical meals.
“We continued serving our women and children throughout this entire process”, said Genelle Peterson, Women’s and Children’s Shelter Manager. It gives us great joy to be able to assist them from our modernized shelter”. After years of serving this community, I’m witnessing homelessness and domestic abuse take on a new face, and our staff is prepared to educate, empower, and love the women and children we serve from an even better facility. We are very grateful to be here,” she said.
The 66-bed facility is warm and inviting. It is dressed with motivating quotes and scriptures that will encourage the hearts of its residents. Alongside Captain Ken Chapman, the Women’s and Children’s Shelter was dedicated by The Salvation Army’s Chief Secretary for the Southern Territory, Colonel Deborah Sedler. “We pray that the people that come will get their lives back on track and will be able to get housing and be stable in our communities,” Sedler said.