Lauderdale County residents joined The Salvation Army Meridian in celebrating the nonprofits new Eloise Hart Temple Client Choice Marketplace with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony Thursday afternoon.
A remodeled version of The Salvation Army’s long-running food pantry program, the Client Choice Marketplace lets families and individuals choose foods that best meet their household needs. Instead of prepacked boxes, clients will take shopping carts up and down isles selecting what they want from the marketplace shelves.
Sgt. Daniel Noland, commanding officer of The Salvation Army Meridian, said the marketplace is more than letting clients pick their own food. It’s about dignity, choice and hope.
“I like to say this marketplace, it’s more than a food bank. It’s a full shopping experience,” he said. “The clients get their dignity back being able to come in and shop to fit the needs of their family and walk away with a smile.”
Eloise Hart Temple, for whom the marketplace is named, was known throughout the community for her compassion and drive to help others. In 1937, she founded Camp DeSoto, a faith-based camp for girls in the community, and later established Camp Skyline Ranch as an expansion of the idea.
“But her legacy was never only about camp. It was about opening up the world a little wider for others,” Noland said. “She created opportunities for girls to grow in faith and confidence, joy and friendship. She wrote songs, built traditions and created experiences that shaped generations of young women. She was known for seeing what was missing and building it.”
Barbara O’Neill, Temple’s daughter, helped continue her mother’s legacy of servitude with a $101,000 donation to The Salvation Army to launch its Client Choice Marketplace. O’Neill said she is glad to be able to help bring the program to Meridian.
“It’s just such a great pleasure that this gives me,” she said.
There are a few times in everyone’s lives when the “light turns on,” O’Neill said. One instance for her happened as she was driving a man home who she had hired to rake her yard.
When she stopped for gas, the man handed her some of the money he had earned raking and asked her to buy a cake for him to take home to his family. He needed to bring something home to feed his children.
With the opening of the new Client Choice Marketplace, O’Neill said her hope is some of those who are raking yards won’t have to stop for cakes anymore.
Debby Dalshad, advisory board chair for The Salvation Army Meridian, said thanks is owned to O’Neill, as well as everyone who worked hard to make the Client Choice Marketplace a reality. She also thanked those who came out to support the nonprofit at Thursday’s ribbon cutting, including media, community leaders and more.
“We’re just proud that you’re here to join us in this celebration and it means so much to us and all of the people that we serve,” she said.