Majors Steven and Valerie Lopes have been named the new leaders of The Salvation Army Brockton Citadel Corps and Community Center.
The couple brings 40 years of ministry and leadership experience to the role, according to a community announcement. They have served at Salvation Army locations in Plymouth, Waltham, Dorchester and Worcester, as well as in Ohio and New York. Most recently, they were based in Rhode Island, where they served as state coordinators and pastors at The Salvation Army Providence Citadel.
Steven Lopes has ties to Brockton, having spent summers in the city during the 1960s and worked there in the 1980s and early 1990s. He is the son of Portuguese and Cape Verdean parents and one of 11 children. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Nazarene College and has completed seminary training. He has also taken graduate-level courses at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is a member of the Christian Leadership Alliance. He served six years on The Salvation Army’s Territorial African Heritage Committee.
Majors Valerie and Steven Lopes
Valerie Lopes grew up in Plymouth, where her family attended the local Salvation Army corps and community center. She graduated with honors from The Salvation Army’s College for Officer Training and later directed a program for seniors in Plymouth.
The couple, who married at The Salvation Army in Plymouth, have two children and six grandchildren.
Throughout their careers, the Lopeses have launched and led several programs, including the nationally recognized Kids F.E.A.S.T after-school program for children ages 6 to 12 and The Salvation Army’s Bridging the Gap initiative, which gives court-involved and at-risk youth a second chance. In Worcester, they also established a day program for people experiencing homelessness and partnered with local police to implement a Weed and Seed program designed to strengthen minority communities.
The Salvation Army in Brockton has been serving the community since 1895, addressing hunger, supporting individuals experiencing homelessness and substance abuse, and expanding social services to meet emerging challenges.
“The Salvation Army is the only national social service organization able to meet human need in almost every ZIP code,” Steven Lopes said. “In communities like Brockton, almost 14% of the population is living in poverty and many local residents rely on The Salvation Army for their next meal, gifts for their children at the holidays, and hope in tough times. Our faith compels us to put unconditional love into action. We are excited to help meet the need of this community and to continue to grow our youth programs.”
The Salvation Army helps more than 27 million people in nearly every ZIP code in America overcome poverty, addiction and economic hardships through a range of social services. The organization provides food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from substance abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need.
In 2024, Forbes ranked The Salvation Army sixth in its list of America’s Top 100 Charities. In 2021, The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked The Salvation Army second on its list of “America’s Favorite Charities.”
For more information about supporting The Salvation Army or local service centers, visit salvationarmyma.org.
This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Salvation Army names new Brockton leaders with deep local ties