In mid-October 1920, The Salvation Army began serving Church Hill youth at its Richmond Church Hill Corps at 728 N. 28th Street.
Over the course of the next 30 years, The Salvation Army’s programs
were structured and focused on area youth, and in 1949, the outpost at
Church Hill was officially named the Red Shield Boys Club.
On January 28, 1954 the Club merged with the Boys Clubs of America and was chartered the Salvation Army Boys Club.
In 1971, The Salvation Army moved the Red Shield Boys Club to its
current location, 3701 R Street and the facility was named The Salvation
Army Boys Club and Neighborhood Center. This new facility was dedicated
by then State Senator L. Douglas Wilder, who was the chairman of the
Boys Club Council.
This new facility boasted game rooms, meeting rooms, a library,
clinic, lunchroom, an indoor pool; donated by the E. Claiborne Robins
family; and a gymnasium; donated by the Reynolds aluminum family.
Today, The Salvation Boys & Girls Club has more than 500 members,
with a daily average attendance of more than 150 youth. The Club has
programming for children ages 6 to 18 and The Club places an emphasis on
life-skills training.