Kingsport Salvation Army opens New Day Center

KINGSPORT — The Salvation Army of Greater Kingsport has opened its New Day Center to the community. The center provides a variety of services, including employment and housing assistance, as well as mental health services for neighbors experiencing homelessness.The day center is located in the dining hall area of the Salvation Army at 505 Dale St., and is open five days a week: Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and Friday 9 a.m. to noon.Community lunch is served at noon on those days.Hunger First, a nonprofit set up to help the homeless throughout the Tri-Cities with food, clothing and sometimes shelter, recently shuttered its facility on Myrtle Street.The Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority closed on the purchase of the Hunger First property on March 23, and chain link fencing now blocks its doors.The Salvation Army held a soft opening for the day center in November for guests who were staying in its emergency shelter. On Feb. 14, the day center opened fully to any displaced person within the community."The opening has gone better than we anticipated," Capt. Aaron Abram of the Salvation Army said in a news release. "We've had a steady increase in the number of guests who have come to take advantage of the services, including one gentleman who has come back to provide positive peer pressure for others to consider entering recovery."The New Day Center offers case management services, recovery counseling, job search and housing assistance. Guests who are unable to establish a post office box or permanent address are able to receive mail at the day center.Additional services coming online soon include laundry and shower access, peer recovery classes, travel to doctor's appointments, job skills training and financial literacy classes.And starting April 6, Frontier Health will be coming out to the day center to help facilitate intakes and secure intake appointments for services."We see the potential of our guests, but they have to be the ones to see the potential in themselves," Capt. Rebekah Abram said. "They have to be the ones willing to step out and say I do need help and I do want to be more than what society thinks I am."The Salvation Army has partnered with the KHRA, the United Way of Greater Kingsport and the city in the establishment of the New Day Center.Since the opening of the day center, the Salvation Army has helped 21 people transition to housing, with six going to a substance abuse program."Collaboration is key in addressing the needs for our homeless friends. The New Day Center shows that we can all work together to truly help those in need," said Jonathan Anderson, homeless services liaison for the United Way. "We're already seeing the impact of the facility too. Through agencies working together, we have folks moving into housing, choosing recovery, and starting employment.""The Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority is excited for the opportunity to partner with the Salvation Army at the New Day Center," said Terry Cunningham, executive director of the KHRA."We believe the New Day Center will make a huge difference in the daily lives of many in our homeless community," said Erin Gray, social worker for the city. "Our hope is everyone will embrace the services offered in an effort to change their lives for the better."The Salvation Army of Kingsport provides emergency shelter with a men's dorm (15 beds), a women's dorm (10 beds, soon to be 14), two family units and a white flag room for up to nine people when the weather is below 32 degrees outside.For more information about the New Day Center, contact the Salvation Army of Kingsport at (423) 246-6671 or go online to www.salvationarmykingsport.org.Try the Kingsport Times News app today. Download here from Google Play and the App Store.