Times Herald - Rebuilding Together, Others, Honor MLK by Transforming Vallejo's Salvation Army Into a Safe Place for After School

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By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen

"You can tell a lot about a community by how its residents come together (when it counts), and I don't think anyone can top Vallejo in this regard," said U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) at a gathering of dozens of volunteers Monday helping remodel the city's Salvation Army site to accommodate a new after-school program and other expanded services.

The volunteers, representing Kaiser Permanente, Rebuilding Together, Medic Ambulance, Home Depot, Kelly Moore Paints, Recology Vallejo and others, donated their time and materials as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Day of Service.

The building's transformation from a deteriorating eyesore the organization was trying to dump into a safe place for students to come after school was the brainchild of local Salvation Army Capt. Jonathan Harvey and is thanks largely to his determination to wait out the recession.

"The building was up for sale when we came here in 2010," said Harvey, who brought his daughter to help paint at Monday's event. "We created a plan to revitalize everything. It starts with having a vision for a better day."

Meanwhile, Vallejo's Salvation Army still hands out, literally, tons of food and other assistance to the needy, Harvey said. But, the after-school program -- which will start with a focus on elementary and middle school age students -- is new.

A reading/study/homework area and a computer lab are in the works, awaiting the donation of computers, Harvey said. The site's worship area will double as a dance/exercise space, the food pantry will continue dispensing groceries and the kitchen will produce snacks and maybe even dinner for its after-school participants, he said.

"We want to bring elements of health and wellness here, and a safe place for young people, while providing guidance on healthy lifestyle choices," Harvey said.

Working with Rebuilding Together Solano County, Harvey said he expects the project to take about a year to complete. Flooring is still needed, along with some construction work requiring expertise in framing, drywall and electrical, he said. The kitchen also needs some TLC.

"It's an ongoing project that still needs financial support from the community," he said. "Without volunteers and community support, organizations like this cease to exist."

Besides providing some 80 volunteers between the Vallejo project and one at a Suisun City low-income school, Kaiser donated some $15,000 for this service day, Vallejo Together organizer Elizabeth Hoffman said.

Besides Thompson, dignitaries making an appearance at Monday's workday event were Solano County Supervisors John Vasquez and Linda Seifert, Corwin Harper, area manager and senior vice president for Kaiser Permanente's Napa-Solano, area Kaiser physician-in-chief Steve Stricker and others.

"I could do a lot of things, but this makes me feel better. It's about giving back," Vasquez said.

Harvey said he hopes to initiate summer programs and launch the after school program in the fall, to fill a local unmet need.

"The (Continentals of Omega) Boys & Girls Club provides a great program, but it's on the other side of down," he said. The Salvation Army's location at Tuolumne and Kentucky streets lends itself to serving the residents of the troubled Millerville area.

This is the sixth year that Kaiser Permanente has collaborated with Rebuilding Together Solano County, a housing nonprofit focused on assisting low-income seniors and community facilities needing healthcare assistance, safety repairs and other rehabilitation work, Hoffman said.

Since 2009, Rebuilding Together Solano County has done home repairs for 17 low-income senior/veteran/disabled homeowners and held more than 28 workdays to rehabilitate community facilities in Vallejo, Benicia, Fairfield, Vacaville and Rio Vista -- investing more than $1.7 million, she said.

"Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit that feels it's important to give back," said Harper, adding he's been volunteering on MLK Day for the past six years. "Personally, I love working in my community and I like to honor Dr. King. It's important and just who I am as a person."

The Vallejo Salvation Army facility's badly needed fresh coat of paint inside and out "signifies a fresh start for the neighborhood," Harvey said. "It's a brand new day in Vallejo."

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