CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After closing the doors to their emergency shelter in June, the Salvation Army of Clarksville is set to reopen at the end of this year, thanks in part to the work of some volunteers from Ohio.

Maj. Kati Chase, Salvation Army Corps officer, told Clarksville Now that after almost 15 years of serving Clarksville, the shelter was due for repairs and renovation. It needed a new roof, interior repairs and painting. In April, they launched a campaign to raise funds to take that on. But the situation worsened during the hailstorm in June, and the deteriorating roof sustained even more damage.

“We were scared to even walk in the kitchen,” Chase said. “It looked like the roof might fall through at any moment.”

Many of the rooms had been affected by the roof damage and water leakage, including one of the family rooms. With the help of the community’s generosity and insurance, the Salvation Army was able to begin work to repair the shelter. To do that, they had to shut their doors in June.

“When residents come here, I want them to feel like they are at home,” Chase said. “I don’t want them to feel like they’re in a shelter or an institution.”

Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)
Volunteers from Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio conduct repairs and renovation efforts on the Clarksville Salvation Army Homeless Shelter on Kraft Street, July 25, 2024. (Jordan Renfro)

Mount Carmel Christian Church and 3C Community Christian Church from Ohio recently took on 17 projects in the Clarksville area, bringing in over 100 volunteers. They helped to rebuild some of the homes in Clarksville that still needed work after the December 2023 tornado, and they took on some of the work at the Salvation Army.

“The transformation is unbelievable there,” said Tim Pride, leader of the Mount Caramel volunteer group.

Thanks in part to their efforts, the reopening of the shelter is now on track between fall and the start of winter.

“It’s a valuable and kind gift that (the volunteers) gave,” Chase said. “It’s very valuable in helping us to reopen. … It was a blessing to us.”

The Salvation Army is now going through the hiring process to bring on more staff.

“We know that God works in kind for us, and he sent (the volunteers) to be a blessing for our community, really.”

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