BOZEMAN — The Salvation Army has a new home in Bozeman, and leaders say the larger space will help the organization expand its impact in the community.
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On Monday morning, community members gathered for the grand opening of the Salvation Army’s new location off 19th Avenue. Majors and members from across the country spoke during the ceremony, prayers were read, and a ribbon-cutting officially opened the building.
“It’s huge. And bright and beautiful,” said Sunny Rae Yocom, advisory board chair for the Salvation Army in Bozeman.
The new facility marks a major step for the organization, which has been in Bozeman for more than a century.
“We started quite some time ago as a little itty-bitty church,” Yocom said.
Yocom has been involved with the Salvation Army for the past 25 years. She said the organization’s mission begins with its role as a church.
“First and foremost, we are a church,” Yocom said. “Salvation Army is a church, and we welcome everybody.”
The organization also provides a variety of community services, including daily lunches, clothing drives, back-to-school fundraisers and its annual Christmas campaign.
“We have meals that we give out,” Yocom said. “There’s lunches every day but Fridays and Saturdays.”
The Salvation Army distributes about 280 lunches each week.
“And then we do about $25,000 in laundry vouchers every year,” said Major Rio Ray, pastor of the new Salvation Army church.
Ray said the new building is a significant upgrade from the organization’s previous location, which the Salvation Army vacated three weeks ago.
“Forgive me, but it’s miraculous is how I feel about it,” Ray said.
The new facility came through a land swap agreement with developers connected to the proposed Canopy by Hilton boutique hotel planned for the Salvation Army’s former downtown property at Rouse Avenue and Babcock Street.
“They wanted our old property over in downtown,” Ray said. “So they offered to buy the land, build the building and furnish the building if we would swap them with the land we had downtown.”
The new building is more than triple the size of the former location, and Ray said he hopes it will allow the Salvation Army to serve more people.
“That’s our goal, is that we can impact more people,” Ray said.
The building also includes classrooms and gymnasiums, which leaders say could eventually support some form of child care services.
For now, Yocom said the organization is focused on continuing to support the community.
“We’re here,” Yocom said. “And we can give everyone things that they need so that they can be inspired and grow in themselves and Christ.”
