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When repairs and costly upkeep began piling up at The Salvation Army Murrieta (California) Corps in July 2025, Captains Sidney and Reyna Salcido knew they needed a solution they could afford, and with a tight budget, hiring outside help wasn’t always possible.
“We began asking volunteers who came through the doors what skills they had,” said Captain Sidney Salcido.
He explained that many volunteers arrive to fulfill court-ordered community service hours through a partnership with the city, which refers individuals to the Murrieta Corps.
“People often come in expecting to work in the food pantry or do standard organizing and cleaning,” Salcido said. “But once we learn their skills and abilities, we can match them with other needs around the corps.”
Soon, volunteers began helping in unexpected ways, arriving—as Salcido said—in God’s perfect timing.
Just days after a plumbing problem arose, a volunteer with plumbing experience repaired it within hours, saving the corps hundreds of dollars. Another individual with IT experience then repaired the camera livestream equipment, allowing the corps to stream Sunday services again after months of technical issues.
“Some of the support has become consistent and reliable,” Salcido said, adding that all outdoor landscaping is now completed by a volunteer. “It’s a blessing to have people showing up to give their time.”
With volunteer time valued nationally at $34.70 per hour in 2025, according to Independent Sector, the hours donated at the corps translate into meaningful savings that can instead support its programs.
“Because of the help, we can put more of our resources into helping families in the community,” he said.
When the Murrieta Corps needs extra hands for events or seasonal fundraising, Salcido turns to Patrick Rogrigue, a full-time volunteer who networks with the community and helps connect people to tasks at the corps.
As a Perris Adult Rehabilitation Center (ARC) graduate, Rogrigue works with men in recovery and invites them to serve alongside him.
“Giving back is part of being in recovery,” Rogrigue said. “By being of service to others, the door to lasting change begins to open.”
“Giving back is part of being in recovery. By being of service to others, the door to lasting change begins to open.”
Patrick Rogrigue, volunteer
Rogrigue has remained connected to the ARC since graduating and becoming a Salvation Army soldier in 2009. Following 13 years as assistant manager at The Salvation Army Temecula Thrift Store, he retired and shifted his focus to volunteering and supporting others walking the same path he did.
Each week, he returns to the Perris ARC to help teach early recovery classes and build relationships with participants, often serving as a mentor to men in the program.
On Sunday mornings, he loads as many men as he can into the van and drives them to service at the Murrieta Corps, where many greet guests, serve refreshments and stay afterward to continue volunteering.
“Men experience what it’s like to be connected and live differently than they’re used to,” Rogrigue said.
As he manages much of the food pantry, Rogrigue invites men in recovery to join him, helping them practice routines and taking responsibility. He said an average of 7 program graduates return to volunteer with him each week.
Through a contact list of more than 100 people, Rogrigue maintains connections by sending daily devotional text messages and reaching out when additional help is needed—requests he said are often met without hesitation.
“Through Patrick’s networking and his ability to reach so many people in the community, we don’t have to worry as much about finding help when needs arise,” Salcido said.
Rogrigue also works with individuals who need community service hours, helping some complete more than 40 hours of volunteer service at the corps.
The benefit comes to volunteers as well, Rogrigue said, as he’s seen many discover renewed belonging that strengthens their recovery.
“We’ve seen guys arrive unsure of themselves, but they soon realize what they’re capable of,” Rogrigue said. “Working with their hands often starts repairing what’s going on inside.”
He recalled one ARC participant who began by bellringing during the holidays and has since returned multiple times to help with small repairs around the corps.“People’s self-esteem grows once they realize their abilities are greater than what they previously thought,” Rogrigue said. “They start to see God’s plan for them.”
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