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The Chairman of The Salvation Army Advisory Board in Petaluma, California, is also a local business owner.
David Adams is something of a fixture in Petaluma, California.
A fourth-generation resident of the Sonoma County riverside town, Adams launched a business called Quality Printing Services (QPS) 23 years ago. Through QPS, he’s made a name for himself in the community. The company started off in a strip mall, but it’s since expanded into a 5,400 square-foot printing plant.
“My fingers are in a lot of nonprofits in town, because they all need to print and they can’t afford it, so I offer discounts to them whenever I can,” he said.
His charitable work, however, extends beyond the printing plant. About 15 years ago, Adams was asked to come to a Salvation Army board meeting. His father had been serving with Adult Rehabilitation Center in nearby Santa Rosa for years, so he jumped at the opportunity to help.
“The Salvation Army, to me, meets pretty much any need the community brings to it,” he said. “The way I was taught, was that The Salvation Army is there as a resource. If you see a need, you can customize programs to the community where the needs are. Which is very useful, because we’ve got a lot of great nonprofits in Petaluma, and we find ourselves contributing to what they do, and [vice-versa].”
Now the Chairman of the Board in Petaluma, Adams has taken on even more responsibility. Recently, he helped coordinate a project with local agencies Mentor Me and Petaluma People Services Center to broaden the scope of services for transitional age youth on the east side of Petaluma, where social services are limited. The Petaluma Corps turned an unused portion of its church building into a nonprofit center for its new Transitional Age Youth Service Alliance program. And so far, the partnership’s working well.
Adams said he feels blessed to help The Salvation Army any way he can, and be a “bridge” for new officers who may be stepping in.
“When a new officer comes, and they do every four to five years or so, they’re new to the community, and they’re trying to pick up on what’s already been accomplished, but without a board, they don’t get introduced to anybody,” he said. “They don’t get to meet anybody, any leaders, anyone they can help. So it takes them a heck of a lot longer to fit in if they have to do all of that on their own. That’s why I think it’s so important to have a board.”
