MARK WAITE / PVT A youth group of the Salvation Army chapter performs a skit during the 10th anniversary dinner at the Pahrump Nugget Banquet Room. In the skit, a girl is trying to battle life's temptations to reach Christ. Advertisement

It's been 10 years since the Salvation Army set up a Pahrump chapter in a small, dilapidated trailer on Big Five Road.

While the Salvation Army may be better known as people dressed in military uniforms ringing bells at Christmas time, the local Pahrump chapter provides food and rent assistance to the poor, operates a thrift store at 240 S. Dahlia St. and gives spiritual counseling out of a church at 721 S. Buol Rd.

Nancy Korica presented an award to Capt. Dion and Arlene Torres, local commanders of the Pahrump Salvation Army chapter during a 10th anniversary dinner at the Pahrump Nugget Banquet Room attended by leading commanders of the Salvation Army from Las Vegas and Henderson April 26.

"The corps was in dilapidated condition and didn't have very much presence in the community," Torres said.

Many parishioners didn't want to go to the church in the old trailer, she said. But the Salvation Army fixed it up so people felt comfortable there.

"Our vision was, from the moment we got here, to bring the Salvation army's presence in the community to a dignified stance that we would be able to meet the needs of the community and not look like we were the ones who were needy," Torres said.

Since coming to Pahrump 10 years ago, members participating in Salvation Army programs locally increased from 17 to 150, Torres said.

Torres took over the Pahrump post from Lt. Osei Stewart, the first commander who ran the Pahrump office for three years before Torres arrived.

Controversy erupted when the Salvation Army wanted to acquire property donated by Tim Hafen on Whirlwind Drive. Neighbors were upset over talk of a homeless shelter, which still doesn't exist in Pahrump. Instead, the Salvation Army tries to find the homeless a ride to Las Vegas if they want to stay in a shelter.

"They shot down with a double-barreled shotgun our sign," Torres said. "They didn't want us there because they didn't want a homeless shelter there."

"We're not thinking about putting up a homeless shelter but we will always help the homeless," she said.

The Salvation Army got a big boost in 2002 when it acquired The Manor, a former country club on Buol Lane, for $550,000. Torres said the Salvation Army had a capital campaign, raising $175,000 in one year. Bob Davies, former owner of The Manor, gave the Salvation Army access to the building a year before they could occupy it free of charge, she said. Torres said the Salvation Army only owes a balance of $109,000 on the building.

Work also began on a youth program, which now has 70 children enrolled, Torres said. Youths put on a religious skit at the 10th annual celebration dinner.

A vacation bible school was started to cater to the spiritual needs of the youths. The army then expanded youth programs to the adults with a senior program, she said.

"Our financial situation is healthy, the corps is healthy, we work in connection with our thrift store and our social services have been a great benefit to the community. Our bell ringing in the past two years has been excellent and we've reached the point here where we're viable," Torres said.

The thrift store opened before the Salvation Army came to Pahrump, she said. The Salvation Army will have a grand reopening ceremony for the thrift store with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., May 9.

Torres said the thrift store next to the Serenity Plaza on Dahlia Street also includes a food pantry as well as an office providing help to poor people to pay the utilities, the rent, aid for the homeless and payments for those attending alcohol or drug rehabilitation programs.

A couple of food banks in Pahrump were closed down because of health violations, Torres said. The Army has an agreement with the Four Square Food Bank where they acquire food at 9 cents per pound, no matter what it is, she said.

"If we don't have the means to help them, we send them to someone who can help them," Torres said. "We help them first come, first serve until the funds allocated for that month are exhausted."

The Pahrump Salvation Army receives $1,000 per month to help clients pay rent or utilities, she said. Clients have to have proper identification and be residents of Pahrump. They have to have an income, even if it's a small one, she said.

Not surprisingly, a homeless camp has sprung up next to the Salvation Army thrift store back in the dunes.

"They come in here and we give them food, or in the winter time we would fill up their propane tank to have heat for the heater. We supply them with blankets and warm clothing. We know they can't wash their clothes," Torres said. "We also have little packets with soap, sanitizer, toothbrushes, razors, tissues already prepared."

Asked whether the plight of Pahrump's poor is improving over the last 10 years, Torres said, "it doesn't get any worse."

Then speaking of the homeless camped in the dunes next door, she said, "In the wintertime is when we see more transients who need help, and we encourage them to move on."

In her remarks at the 10th annual dinner, Korica said of the local Salvation Army workers, "They show mercy to people. They cross the barriers of race, economics, denomination and they uphold the values of the Salvation Army."

"How does that happen? It happens when you reach out and love. I overheard a woman one day after church tell the chaplain it looked like her marriage was over. Divorce was imminent. She didn't have anyone. She was afraid, she was lonely. I heard the chaplain say, 'Let us be your family. Come here. Let us wrap our arms around you.' That made the woman cry and I thought, wow, what a pleasure it was to be in the Salvation Army. They are on the clock 1,440 minutes a day."