CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – Five days after a two-vehicle crash engulfed the Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club sign in flames, the new leadership guiding the organization said they are focusing on trying to gain community support amid financial struggles that started long before the crash.

For both of the new Area Commanders, the Salvation Army has a ton of personal impact.

“I grew up in Wellsburg West Virginia, I was raised there,” Captain Cathy Michels said.

Cathy said she remembers going to the Salvation Army as a kid.

“I come from a very split family. My dad was married before he married my mom and had 8 kids,” she said.

“She [Cathy] found love in the Salvation Army. She found ministers, my parents, who were willing to pour into her and to give to her,” Area Commander Captain Mike Michels said.

Cathy added, “I really appreciate that because sometimes when you’re the youngest of kids, you feel left out, and they made me feel like I wasn’t left out, and so I just kept going for more and more love and support they showed us.”

The Salvation Army, and those ministers, gave her more than just support. Pointing to a photo in Mike’s office, Cathy said, “The picture shows my mother and father-in-law.”

“She said when we got married ‘You know what, I want to do that too? I want to be that person for that little girl that’s living in an alternate household,’” Mike said. “Her dad had been married twice. He was supporting two families working multiple jobs.”

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Cathy and her husband Mike, whom she had stayed in touch with because of the Salvation Army and the impact his parents left on her, are doing just that. After nearly 40 years together, they said it’s been quite the adventure.

“We went to seminary about 12 years ago, and we were living in Charleston, South Carolina just before we lived here, and just before Charleston, South Carolina, we were in Jamaica,” Mike said.

Those experiences gave them hearts for loving others.

“I understand what’s going on with the Salvation Army. I understand when people walk in the door and say ‘Hey, I need help,’ or ‘Hey, this is going on’ because I just want you to know I’ve been through it,” Cathy said. “That makes your heart be a little bit stronger each time you meet with someone and you can talk with them because you know, and you understand, not saying people can’t understand, but when you’ve lived through it and gone through it, you understand it a little bit easier.”

Now, after years of living out of state and abroad, the Salvation Army has brought them back to their wild and wonderful roots to serve children and families.

“I love this area. I love the people here. I’m so excited to be back home, but it also breaks my heart to see that the need is still so great,” Mike said.

Since coming back to Charleston, they’ve inherited financial struggles, that were only heightened by the firey crash.

“The only thing that’s limiting us from doing more is our resources. Right now, we’re barely making ends meet or sometimes not even making ends meet to make sure that everybody is paid and make sure all our bills are paid,” Mike said.

Mike continued, “When we walked in, we have some internal debts. So we do have that same hierarchy that’s above us that can help us out. Those are all loans. Zero-interest loans, but those are all loans. So we have to pay that money back and continue doing service and hopefully, eventually expand service.”

Mike said the vision now is to become more financially stable as an organization.

“That’s only going to be because folks in the community are willing to step up and help us get financially stable. Once that happened, we found out that just about every person who works here is being paid below the Salvation Army’s standard. That’s not acceptable. Salvation Army’s standard is low. It’s a nonprofit, so if we’re not sitting Salvation Army’s standard, we need to fix that,” he said.

Mike said replacing the sign alone from Friday’s fire will cost around $10,000.

Both the Michels said they want to see the community pour into the Salvation Army and Boys and Girls Club financially so that they can continue their outreach, after-school programs and summer programs for kids, and being a place of security for families.

“We’re hoping to share our love with other people. I wanted to be a part of the Salvation Army because of what they showed me,” Cathy said.

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