Community Corner
Salvation Army: Sarasota Services Cut, No Changes Planned In Manatee
While the Salvation Army in Sarasota County has cut its shelter and feeding services, the Manatee County chapter said no changes planned.
SARASOTA-MANATEE COUNTIES, FL — While the Salvation Army in Sarasota County has scaled back its shelter and feeding services, there are no changes planned by the organization’s Manatee County chapter.
In Sarasota County, Salvation Army will now charge a $12 overnight fee for the first few nights that people stay in its emergency shelter. Previously, the first three nights in the shelter were free, according to WWSB.
Starting last week, the organization is also now only offering dinner and shower services to overnight shelter guests, which is limited to 35 people.
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“We are doing this so we can develop better programs for those who are living on the streets. This is not being done as a punishment. It’s being done to provide better services and better-quality programs,” Lt. Col. Michele Matthews said.
Meanwhile, in Manatee County, the Salvation Army has been running at or near capacity in recent months, according to a news release. And despite staffing challenges, the chapter has no plans of reducing the services offered through its downtown Bradenton location.
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The Manatee County shelter can hold 150 people and dinners are provided to clients daily and to the community Monday through Friday.
“The only change we have in our service now, as compared to before the beginning of the COVID pandemic, is that our evening dinner is served outside using to-go containers rather than inside. This move was made to keep our clients, staff and volunteers healthy,” Major Juan Guadalupe said.
In the fall, the organization was awarded a grant from Manatee County to hold 10 beds nightly for local law enforcement to use to bring in homeless individuals, he added.
In addition to shelter and feeding programs at the Bradenton location, the Salvation Army of Manatee County is offering a summer day camp and summer music camp for children at their State Road 70 location.
While the summer day camp is on a waitlist at this time, registration is open for the music camp. Learn more here.
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