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Los Angeles center renamed to honor donor family.
by Robert Brennan –
Major Victor Leslie, Southern California divisional commander, joined Territorial Commander Commissioner Philip Swyers and members of the Siemon family to rededicate The Salvation Army’s South Los Angeles Youth and Community Center the Siemon Youth and Community Center.
As Siemon family members looked on, the facility was named in honor of the late William and Margaret Siemon, longtime supporters of The Salvation Army. The Siemons bequeathed a substantial amount of their personal assets to The Salvation Army. A portion of those assets has been assigned to the renamed Siemon Youth and Community Center to help insure its financial stability so it will remain a beacon of hope to the young people in the South L.A. community.
Mortimer Jones, executive director of the center, expressed his deep appreciation to the assembled members of the Siemon family: “It is through the generous spirit of outstanding individuals such as William and Margaret Siemon that the work of The Salvation Army not only continues, but thrives.”
The center provides a wide array of after-school activities, tutoring, sports leagues, and enrichment programs for neighborhood youth. This area of Los Angeles is one of the most heavily gang-populated segments of the city and The Salvation Army center here has long been a safe haven for the community. The Siemon family gift will have a lasting impact on innumerable lives.
