Two Tamaqua businesswomen have purchased the former Salvation Army building in downtown Tamaqua.

The $470,000 transaction was completed May 20.

Sheila Davison and Lori Miller are co-founders of two Tamaqua-based companies: C.A.R.E.S., (Community and Residential Empowerment Services) Inc. and Perla Enterprises LLC.

C.A.R.E.S. rented the second floor of the Salvation Army building for many years at 105 W. Broad St.

Davison, CEO, and Miller, president, said they were initially approached about buying the building almost two years ago.

After many hurdles, challenges and a complicated process, the sisters are ecstatic to finally have their business permanently entrenched in the heart of the Tamaqua community.

“We love Tamaqua and we’ve been looking for over three years to buy a property here,” Miller said. “We love the things that the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership and everyone is doing here, and we want to be a part of it.”

According to the new owners, the building is roughly 22,000 square feet. Miller and Davison hope to lease the first floor to organizations that would help benefit the community.

“I don’t think anyone has ever utilized the building for what it’s meant to be,” Miller added.

The first floor of the building has a lot to offer. There is a large industrial-sized kitchen, a full-sized gymnasium, office space and many other large gathering areas. Limitless possibilities.

“The goal would be to have the first floor as a resource for the community,” Davison said. “Whether it’s for athletics, classes, education, meetings or all of the above. We were sad to see the closing of the YMCA and Salvation Army, and it affected a lot of people. We’re going to try and fill that void. We’d prefer to open the door to other services that need a good home in this area.”

The growth of C.A.R.E.S. since its 2013 inception factored into the purchase.

C.A.R.E.S. provides person-centered services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization specializes in connecting self-advocating participants with opportunities to be family focused, self-determined, individualized, person-centered, and strength-based.

C.A.R.E.S. now operates 16 all-inclusive community-based day programs and offers six additional services across 20 counties in Pennsylvania.

“We don’t want anyone left behind - so we pay for everything in our day programs,” Davison said.

“If they go to Knoebels or a Broadway show, we pay for it. Our day programs are all inclusive and there isn’t any other day program that does that.”

Davison said that C.A.R.E.S. employs 78 workers - about 30 who reside in the Tamaqua area. Their company serves over 130 people with disabilities.

“We’ve been helping people most of our adult lives. We’ve done foster care for people with disabilities and worked in group homes,” Davison added.

The sisters agreed it’s in their blood to help people and give back to the community.

Davison and Miller plan to name the building the “Perla Enterprises Building,” or simply the Perla Building, in honor of their parents, Jeanne and John, who instilled those very generous principles and morals in them.

“Our parents were very caring people. Our mom was always feeding someone or helping someone,” Miller added.

Many of the C.A.R.E.S. programs are run in churches and other similar venues. The company pays them to host the programs, which not only helps those organizations, but also builds a network to connect with more people.

C.A.R.E.S. will continue to utilize its second-floor office space at the Perla Building for training, meetings and orientations.

In 2013, when the company started, there was a period of time where no C.A.R.E.S. employee took a paycheck. Eight years later, Miller and Davison continue to grow their businesses at a rapid pace and plan to bring the Tamaqua community more opportunities for growth, education and recreation.

Miller and Davison were named the 2019 Tamaqua Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year award recipients.

“We did everything together,” Davison added. “It just made sense.”

For more information about C.A.R.E.S. or venue leasing opportunities, call 570-225-7360.