The Sapulpa Herald interviewed Jake Law, the new director of the Sapulpa Salvation Army facility, however, Mr. Law said his official title is Branch Manager.
“We used to be called club directors. I have been doing this a long time, so in my world I am still the Boys and Girls Club Director. The official title with my company is Branch Manager.”
Law provided clarification about the actual name of the Sapulpa Salvation Army branch.
“What this is, in Sapulpa, has been fluid through the years. When this originally opened, the idea behind the Salvation Army part was that it was a church. The Salvation Army is what pays the bills, that is who runs the organization.
“The Boys and Girls Club married the Salvation Army in certain programs. In Oklahoma, for instance, there are several Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs, and there are several traditional clubs. Like in Bartlesville and Oklahoma City, there is the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, and there is just only Boys and Girls Club.”
Law said the difference between the two is the faith aspect of the programming.
“For us, the Salvation Army Officers who you see seasonally in a uniform with the trim, out bell-ringing, a lot of times in the public eye, the officers are ministers. They are ordained ministers, they go to a two-year seminary college. They graduate, and then they are moved, they are moved like they are in the Army.”
He said what happened in Sapulpa was that the church was closed. “The reason they closed the church was to consolidate Sand Springs and Sapulpa. What they recognized, quite frankly, was that it was hard to support two sets of pastors. Sand Springs had the bigger church, it was there longer, so they closed the ministry here, the officers left, and the branch manager, slash director, was a little bit more in charge.”
Branch Manager Law detailed the bell-ringing campaign that occurs every Christmas season.
“Bell ringing here for us, that money comes right back to this facility, and it is used in Sapulpa and Creek County.”
When discussing the programs at the SA branch, Law said: “We operate like a gym and offer memberships. Most of the adults that come here utilize the membership as a gym membership: swimming, a fitness room, a pool, and our gymnasium. Things that we have for the kids are also available to the adults. So, if there is a senior citizen that needs help on a computer and does not have one at home, they can come here, have a little bit of help by the youth, learn how to either get on a computer or get help with something they need help with.”
Law said there are a number of people who pay a membership fee just to walk the gym, especially if it is too hot or too cold outside.
He added that the only ongoing class for adults is water aerobics.
“What we are trying to do is to offer more for adults. With the adults now, the programming we are looking forward to is some pickleball, some low-impact sports for adults, and some high impact sports.
“Some of our water aerobic classes are low-impact, we don’t offer a lot of high impact, and we have folks that have told us: ‘we would love to do a high-impact class.’”
The Salvation Army in Sapulpa offers a latchkey program for children and youth may buy a membership for only $40 per year. He stressed that there are scholarships for any children who can not afford the membership fee.
Mr. Law explained the second adult component of the facility’s programs:
“We are also what we call a service center. There Is a full-time social service worker here all day, Monday through Friday. Her job is to expend resources, some of that money we see comes in during Christmas to help people with bills, and to help people with gifts for Christmas. That money is actually stretched through the year. What we raise, that is where you see that money being spent, on other people who need help.”
When asked what the SA in Sapulpa does for the homeless, Law replied: “Currently, what we do is provide resources for them not to be homeless, meaning that we can get them to the shelter, The Salvation Army has a shelter in Tulsa. We also allow people living under a bridge or in a tent to come here and shower.”
Mr. Law then provided a tour of the complex, pointing out the regulation-size gym, a well-equipped fitness room, a daycare room, a marvelous heated indoor pool, and a room equipped with computers that are donated by corporate sponsors
He emphasized that the facility is now run by a different team.
“The athletic director is a new hire, all of the leadership staff here are brand new to Sapulpa.”
Law said he does apply for government grants that might be useful, however, the funding comes primarily from fundraising and donations.
Anyone wishing to donate to two worthy non-profit should take donations directly to the Sapulpa campus at 1721 South Hickory Street.
