Salvation Army’s status with Chamber of Commerce put on hold
The Yuma County Chamber of Commerce has put the Salvation Army of Yuma’s membership on hold for one year, in response to the agency’s decision to drop its affiliation with the Boys and Girls Club of America and convert the Yuma club it operates into a community center.
Chamber Executive Director John Courtis confirmed the action after news of it came out on social media, after he and Chamber Chairman Art Morales met with Capt. Jeff Breazeale, Yuma County coordinator for the Salvation Army for “what we thought, (was) a private face-to-face meeting.
“Unfortunately, the outcome of that meeting and the status of the Salvation Army’s membership in the Chamber has gone on social media, and that is unfortunate,” he said in an email.
“The Yuma County Chamber of Commerce has a Code of Ethics that we hold all members accountable to, and we feel that it gives membership some stature, some standing and some value.
“As such, with the current operational issue of the Boys and Girls Club, we are holding the Salvation Army’s membership in abeyance for one year, and we will re-visit their membership status on November 1, 2019,” he said.
The Salvation Army announced in late October that the Boys and Girls Club it had been operating for 16 years would become a Red Shield community center on Jan. 1, similar to others operated by the national organization in the Los Angeles area and Denver.
This means that when the after-school and summer youth programs, formerly done under the auspices of the Boys and Girls Club, are not in session, the facility will be available for adult recreation and classes.
Breazeale said he was informed of the Chamber of Commerce’s decision in early November.
“I was not given any reason or explanation as to why. I sat down with (Courtis and Morales) and they handed me my membership check for 2019 back, and handed me a letter that said that the board has decided that Salvation Army of Yuma’s membership will be held in abeyance for one year,” he said.
He said the transition to the Red Shield format is moving forward as planned, and programming for the approximately 115 children currently enrolled in the Boys and Girls Club will stay the same. He said no children have been taken out of the club as a “direct” result of the change.
The Salvation Army’s announcement led to the resignation of a majority of the Salvation Army’s local advisory board, who said they were given no say in the decision made by the nonprofit’s regional and state officers.
The city of Yuma sent out a notice Thursday that Mayor Doug Nicholls is scheduled to hold a press conference at noon today in front of what is currently the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club.
Nicholls, other City Council members, local donors and community leaders will talk about “impacts created by the Salvation Army’s decision to drop the Boys & Girls Club affiliation,” the announcement said.
The Salvation Army announced it will drop the Boys and Girls Club name two years after a $1.6 million expansion opened at the facility at 1100 S. 13th Ave., in Yuma. A new building and breezeway were constructed, while plumbing, flooring and other aspects of the old building were replaced.
Angry donors and employees said at the time they had been led to believe it would be that kind of a club for the foreseeable future during the capital campaign, and there were no indications it might not.
Former Salvation Army advisory board member Danny Bryant spoke to the Yuma City Council at the Nov. 21 meeting, saying he and others were feeling “duped” by the nonprofit’s actions, and urged city officials to take action as the former owner of the Boys and Girls Club facility.
The city sold the property to the Salvation Army in 2002 after asking it to take over operation of the club, and the nonprofit successfully petitioned the state to have land usage restrictions included in the sale dropped in 2007.
Breazeale said losing the Chamber membership will not impact any services that it provides, and there hasn’t been any betrayal of donors or the community.
“There is no change, besides the name. The programming is going to stay the same, we’re still going to continue providing our services to our youth, through after-school and summer day camp program,” he said.
The first evening activities for adults will begin there in January and February, he said.
“What the Salvation Army is doing is being an organization of our word,” he said. “We’re continuing to provide all the services and programs in the past, and continue to do in the future, with no change. We’re going to prove that we’re still here,” he said.
The organization’s two thrift stores in the Yuma area closed over the summer, and its soup kitchen was closed in May 2017, as it switched to mobile kitchens to serve the homeless and other needy.