Colorado Salvation Army in mountains finds temporary home inside local newspaper office
CBS Colorado cataloged the Salvation Army's efforts to find a new home in the Vail Valley after it was suddenly asked to leave by the end of September.
Now, it's in a new, temporary home for the time being -- the Vail Daily building in EagleVail, setting up across from hard-working local journalists.
Monica Villalobof-Ruffell, director of the Salvation Army Vail Extension Center, explained they're in tighter quarters and without their green house and garden, but they're making the best of the spot they've very thankful to find.
"One year," Villalobof-Ruffell said of their lease. "With the possibility of extending the lease for a second year; however, we need to find a permanent location."
The corner of the office space is being outfitted with deep freezers, shelves and refrigerators to hold the food bank stuffs. The nonprofit is hoping to open it's doors to the community in need on Nov. 4 once it clears an inspection. You can support the efforts to get this program up and running again.
Patricia Peterson, a volunteer who was helping get things set up when CBS Colorado stopped by, explained getting things up and running is of utmost importance.
"Salvation Army has been so instrumental to our community for so many years, and we will continue to be so," Peterson said with a smile. "It's a lot of work and takes a village."
Anyone interested in supporting the Salvation Army's efforts in the mountains can visit its website.
While the location can not hold as much food as its previous location, it is now located right along a bus route, which Villalobof-Ruffell said is a major plus for their clientele. They'll take all the advantages they can while they search for their permanent home, still holding holiday traditions like the adopt a family movement and red kettle donations. In terms of finding a new home, the issue is price.
"There's a lot of different aspects to deal with but the main aspect is money," Villalobof-Ruffell said. "We don't have the money to buy property in the Vail Valley. You know? And so, yeah, that's probably the main thing that we just don't have a bank account full of money."
