OLEAN — The first day of summer — the day of the year with the most sunlight — was shining brightly for The Salvation Army as its new headquarters and worship center officially opened for the public Friday.

After a few years of planning and several months of renovations and moving, 328 W. Delaware Ave. is the organization’s new home in Olean.

“What a perfect day for this place to be a place of light shining out into the community of Olean,” said Major Kevin Stoops, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army. “A beacon a hope for those in need.”

Friday’s ceremonies included tours of the building and a ribbon-cutting following guest speakers. Captain Megan Moretz, Corps Officer in Olean, thanked the many people who helped along the process, from the realtors and construction crew to the local volunteers, donors and advisory board members.

“We’re very excited about the move and about what it means for the future of The Salvation Army as we serve in Olean,” Moretz told the Times Herald. “It has been a lot of work, but it is a major upgrade across the board.”

After a few years of planning and several months of renovations and moving, 328 W. Delaware Ave. is The Salvation Army’s new home in Olean.

THE SALVATION ARMY has served Olean for 131 years, and since 1958, its services have been largely based out of 310 E. State St. However, as time passed, it became clear that the location could not keep up with the evolving needs of the community.

Captain Elisha Moretz said a move had been discussed for many years, but the right opportunity was needed. He said their previous location on East State was built as a house, and that hindered The Salvation Army’s effectiveness during their time there.

“As the building aged, our list of concerns grew and we began the process about three years ago,” he said.

The Moretzes took a list of everything they needed and wanted to local realtor Claudia Attard-Keary, and she showed them 328 W. Delaware Ave. Megan Moretz said they immediately had a vision for it as a place where they could serve the community.

“It is a much newer building. It is accessible, has parking and keeps us in the neighborhood of East Olean,” she said. “Other places we looked had some of what we were looking for, but 328 Delaware checked all the boxes.”

In October 2024, The Salvation Army purchased the property on West Delaware Avenue — the former Southern Tier Cancer Care center. According to Cattaraugus County property records, The Salvation Army bought the property and building for $340,000 from Sunil-Datta Soni.

Megan Moretz said the move has gone pretty well. The previous owners graciously donated much of the furniture and other items from their practice there, she said, and The Salvation Army feels they’ve been able to make good use of them.

In the meantime, some cosmetic work was necessary. Elisha Moretz said the roof needed to be completely redone. There are three different roof types on the building, he explained, so it was a big project accomplished by the team at Top Tier Construction.

“They also opened up some rooms and laid new flooring down in the front lobby,” he said. “Additionally, many hardworking volunteers have helped us with painting, trim and some of the other minor refurbishing work.”

This new location not only better serves the community because it is accessible to everyone and much safer than the old location, Moretz said, but is also a more energy-efficient building, which will allow The Salvation Army to serve even more in our community with the same donations.

“It’s been exciting to watch this building transform from what it was into a house of worship to God and service to our community,” he added.

The Salvation Army opened its new location at West Delaware Avenue on Friday with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pictured (from left): Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski; Captains Megan and Elisha Moretz, Corps Officers; Olean Mayor William Aiello; Shavonne Henderson, President of the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce; Kara Stimson, office of state Sen. George Borrello; and Lee James, office of Congressman Nick Langworthy.

AFTER HE FIRST visited the Moretzes at the previous building, Stoops said it was a topic of conversation on the drive back to Syracuse that a new facility was needed. Not too long after, he made the trip back to Olean to see the building on West Delaware.

“To walk in here and see the possibilities, to catch the ideas that Captains Moretz had for The Salvation Army, it didn’t take much to see that it was possible,” he said. “What a journey we’ve been on to come to this point.”

Stoops said the new facility will become a place of hope for people. He said that whether you need support for your family or are hungry or seeking friendship or want a relationship with God, word will spread that The Salvation Army is here.

“What a blessing this is today, to be able to see this facility and how useful it will be for the people who enter, they will be able to breathe a sigh of relief,” he said. “This is not only the place of hope, but the shield here on the building will be a sign of hope.”

Shavonne Henderson, President of the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, Olean Mayor William Aiello, Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski and representatives from state Sen. George Borrello’s and Congressman Nick Langworthy’s offices also spoke, congratulating The Salvation Army on the move and their future success.

Local Salvation Army social services include an emergency food pantry, crisis clothing closet, holiday help, transportation and utility assistance. Programs include Christian and music education for kids, men’s and women’s Bible studies, Vacation Bible School and worship services.

In 2024, The Salvation Army served 943 people, provided 7,091 meals, donated 1,383 clothing items, provided utilities support to 37, gave gas cards to 31 and provided 392 hours of music instruction for kids.