Target Corp. Renovates Child Wing of St. Paul Salvation Army Facility

In a time when resources are dwindling for children living in the Eastside neighborhood of St. Paul, support from Target Corp. has allowed the Payne Ave. Salvation Army to ramp up its outreach efforts.

The local retailer recently gave more than $50,000 toward a complete makeover of the facility’s child education wing, including computer upgrades and new chairs, tables and bookcases. In addition, volunteers from Target painted the walls of several rooms in bright orange, blue and green.  

A dedication ceremony held Oct. 21 (view photos) featured guest speaker Lee Buckley, Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s top advisor for the state’s Council on Faith and Community Service Initiatives. She addressed the dozens of children, Target volunteers and Salvation Army staff who came to witness the finished project, which will provide the children with a lively and up-to-date learning environment for years to come.

Much of Target’s donation came through its Target Library Grant, a $1 million fund that provided $25,000 to 40 Salvation Army divisions across the U.S.

The Payne Ave. Salvation Army offers quality after-school care to more than 60 children a day, including education programs, sporting activities, nutritious food and a positive environment.    

“We are thankful that Target recognizes the significance of education and opportunity in the success of children and families living in the Eastside neighborhood,” said Major Darryl Leedom, commander of the Twin Cities Salvation Army. “This wonderful gift from Target is more than a response to faded paint and broken furniture – it is a call to action to combat the challenges in this community.”

In recent months several service providers in the Eastside neighborhood have been forced to either scale down or eliminate their child programs, a situation that has left an estimated 200 children without after-school care. The Payne Ave. Salvation Army has created a waiting list for some of these children as staff members attempt to expand child programming using the limited space and resources they have available.

Target offers support to Salvation Army facilities in the Twin Cities and across the nation. The company recently held “Target School Spree,” a program that allowed 200 children served by the Twin Cities Salvation Army to buy $100 worth of new back-to-school clothing and supplies. In addition, 130 local Target employees have already signed up to volunteer at Salvation Army Toy Shop, which provides gifts to thousands of children in need during the holidays.