Salvation Army advisory board reaction to dropping Boys and Girls Club goes unanswered

One of the former board members of the Salvation Army, who donated to the Boys and Girls Club building in 2014, claimed they still have not heard back from leadership about their concerns on dropping the affiliation.

Danny Bryant, former board member of the Salvation Army and donor for the Boys and Girls Club building, explained the advisory board was not informed about the Salvation Army not funding the Boys and Girls Club program until the former chair noticed it was not written into the 2019 budget.

Bryant said the board penned a letter to Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, with the help of Captain Jeff Breazeale.

“We met with Captain Brazeale who said that he understood. He agreed with us. With his help, we penned a letter to Commissioner Hodder, he’s the top guy in the west,” said Bryant.

News 11 reached out to Capt. Breazeale who admitted to helping write the letter.

Bryant and Captain Breazeale said the advisory board never got a response from the Commissioner.

Bryant said he also reached out to the Commissioner separately. In copies of emails that News 11 obtained, Commissioner Hodder agreed to meet with Bryant when he returned to the United States.

The meeting never happened because Commission Hodder claimed it would be inappropriate to talk about the matter separately.

Bryant also detailed when he spoke out against the decision to end the affiliation in an email to Salvation Army leadership. They then responded by saying they would take his email as his resignation.

Bryant claimed the donors are not just fighting this battle for themselves.

“We’re fighting this battle not only for the Boys and Girls Club but for every non-profit in town who’s going to have a need over the next generation,” said Bryant.

The Salvation Army said they will not comment on legal matters.