The Salvation Army Vandalism Met with Community Response of Beautification

In June, the St. Thomas Source reported a story of repeated vandalism at The Salvation Army corps on St. Thomas. The story told of a year of theft of food for the homeless, vandalism of property used for worship services, and damage to water lines that caused closure of a family thrift store that provides a daily service to underprivileged residents and the feeding program that provides over 35,000 meals a year.

BoltNagi PC is a strong supporter of The Salvation Army and Tom Bolt, its Managing Attorney, provides much of his pro bono work to this organization, serving as both Chair of the St. Thomas Advisory Board and as an ambassador in community relations. Once this news story was released, Tom began receiving calls immediately from concerned citizens about how they could help improve the situation.

The result of these ongoing positive conversations throughout the Virgin Islands community has been the organization of The Salvation Army Clean Up Day. On Saturday, August 23, The Salvation Army will open its doors to volunteers for a day of beautification to reverse some of the scars still showing from repeated vandalism. In addition, volunteers will assist in setting up new living quarters for an incoming Music Director for children’s programs. All skill levels are being invited to donate a few hours of their time to projects such as: pressure washing common areas, painting interior and exterior walls, installing shelves and ceiling fans, replacing locks, and landscaping. There will also be opportunities available for volunteers with specific skills who can be of help replacing gates and doors and installing countertops.

Interested volunteers can view event details and sign up at Volunteer Match or contact Salvation Army Advisory Board Member Christina Walters in our office at 340-774-2944.