CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — With the holiday season well underway, the volunteers from the Salvation Army are out and about all across the country, including in Charlottesville.

Founded in 1912, the Charlottesville Corps of the Salvation Army has been serving the community for over a century and provides a number of services to local residents, all while fulfilling the mission of the organization, to “to meet human needs with discrimination,” according to its website. While the organization is most known for its bell ringers that collect donations in the iconic Red Kettles during the holiday season, those donations go to a number of services they provide.

Here in Charlottesville, the corps’ serves the community at the Center of Hope, which features a 55-bed emergency shelter, a 60-seat dining room called “the Café,” a social services office, food pantry and hygiene pantry. The corps also run a soup kitchen at the center, which provides breakfast and dinner seven days a week.

The corps also have plan to renovate and expand the center into a 47,000-square foot. building, increasing the current center’s capacity by nearly 15,000 square feet, while adding 59 more beds, double the size of the dining hall, add a larger multipurpose room and double the number of life-skills training classrooms. According to its website, the corps have launched a giving campaign to raise funds for the new center, with a goal of raising $28 million.

The Charlottesville Corps also run a number of other services besides just housing and feeding the homeless community. They also help community members who live within Dominion Virginia Power’s service territory pay their heating and cooling bills through the Dominion EnergyShare Bill Payment Assistance program. The program is run in partnership with Dominion and is supported through donations made by both organizations as well as Dominion customers, stockholders, employees and Dominion EnergyShare partners.

Outside the center, the Charlottesville Corps also run a thrift store off of Cherry Ave. The store sells clothes and other items to the public, with the revenue going toward the Salvation Army’s efforts in the area. The store also offers vouchers for clothes and furniture at no cost to those struggling due to homelessness, domestic violence or other circumstances. Those interested can apply through the Charlottesville Corps’ social services office.

So, this Holiday season, as volunteers continue to go around Charlottesville with red kettles and bells in hand, even more will continue to provide support to the community under its roof.