'Build a Better Wadsworth' 

by Robert Mitchell

A new Salvation Army corps building is rising in Wadsworth, Ohio, that will nearly double the current space — and it can't come soon enough. The church met in a local park on a recent Sunday because the sanctuary was full of nearly 250 backpacks for a back-to-school event. 

"We've even had church at my house because our building is small," said Martha Hasenyager, an adherent in Wadsworth. "A few years ago, we had Christmas baskets everywhere and we didn't have anywhere to have church. That's why I'm really looking forward to that new building. We need it very badly. The new building is going to be a real blessing. They do a lot of good work from this building, but it just doesn't hold everything." 

Two houses next to the current building were demolished to make room for the new 12,000-square-foot corps, which will open sometime in 2026. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 7 for the $3.5 million building, which has been eight years in the making due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rising construction costs, and leadership changes. 

"We're really grateful to the community for stepping up and actually raising more than the feasibility study thought they'd be able to. That's been really incredible," said Envoy Ashley Smith, who leads the corps along with her husband, Envoy Charles Smith. 

A giving community 

Smith said all but $750,000 was raised locally for the project, dubbed "Build a Better Wadsworth." Wadsworth is a Cleveland suburb about 12 miles southwest of Akron, and The Salvation Army has had a presence here since 1886. 

The new building will feature an expanded chapel for worship, a larger community room, more kitchen and food service space, and at least triple the current parking. Smith said the new building will have room for a new choice pantry to better serve the community. 

While The Salvation Army's current learning center is held at a local church, the new building will allow everything to be under one roof. 

"This new building will help us to educate children with after-school resources, provide hundreds of community members with meals, and open up a new community resource to all residents in the Wadsworth community to feel welcomed, loved, and enriched with wraparound holistic support," Smith said. 

"We honestly outgrew this building a long time ago based on the amount of programs we do. Since I've been here, we've been adding programs and tightening the programs we have to be able to add more. We're just bursting at the seams here." 

A special place 

Many in Wadsworth do well, according to Smith, while others struggle to pay rent and afford groceries. The new building will be a "beacon of hope for so many throughout our area," she said. For example, the corps offers an emergency pantry, where people can come once a month and get groceries, and that outreach sees about 30 to 40 families a week. A pop-up, drive-thru pantry helps 150 to 180 families once a month in a two-hour span. Army Market, a free produce and bakery market held four days per week, sees about 500 people a week. 

"We're really excited for the opportunity to expand on the services that we offer," Smith said. "We're doing the best we can. It's just a matter of space." 

Hasenyager, 82, who often works in the kitchen and is involved in various ministries, said she's looking forward to having a better kitchen and more dining space to invite others when the new building opens. 

"I'm hoping we'll get more people to come to church," she said. "We don't have anything special, but we're going to have something special soon." 

Click here for more information on The Salvation Army in Wadsworth, Ohio.