Salvation Army Plans New Augusta Shelter to Replace 50-Year-Old Building

The Augusta branch of the Salvation Army will build a new Center of Hope shelter on Hale Street, replacing their worn-out Greene Street building. The first step starts as crews clean and prep an unused structure at the future site.

"We're excited about these early steps and moving forward and trying to better serve those in our area who are in need," said Major Jonathan Raymer, with the Salvation Army, to WRDW.

The existing site wasn't built as a homeless shelter. Staff made changes through the decades to turn it into temporary housing. The building's layout creates roadblocks for workers trying to assist guests.

Most guests now seeking help are women with children. "So often when we view homelessness, we think of men, but the reality is we have more women and children in the Center of Hope than men, so being able to address that better is an important piece of this," Raymer said.

The upcoming structure will split living spaces between men and women. Medical stations and support centers will fill new wings of the building.

The team hasn't set an opening date since plans are still taking shape. The public can support this work through donations on the Salvation Army's website.