The Salvation Army is building the nation’s most comprehensive and innovative homeless care campus on 14 acres in Anaheim, California.
The campus will feature a 325-bed emergency shelter, supportive housing for the homeless, and facilities for medical detox and residential drug recovery. At the heart of the campus will be the world’s first Salvation Army Center for Applied Research & Innovation (CARI). This center is designed to drive innovation and effectiveness by identifying large-scale solutions to homelessness and other social challenges through social science research and program design.
The Social Science Research Hub is the most unique facet of the project. It will be the first dedicated Salvation Army Research & Development center in the world, and will support the work done at 6,914 Salvation Army service centers nationwide.
Integral to the success of this $21 million venture is a native South Carolinian, Monty Warner, who is employing his intimate knowledge of public relations, his extensive relationships in the philanthropic and community service spheres, and his successes in both the local and national political realms to help make this project a reality.
"In an era where the homeless problem has exploded and well-meaning communities have largely cosmetic solutions, Salvation Army has stepped in with its pioneering CARI project on land it could have simply sold for many millions. We don't warehouse the homeless we rehab them into productive, well-adjusted members of society who often reconnect with their families. This is the reason why major business leaders who have seen it have all have been drawn to fund this effort," Warner said.
The CARI center will be a 28,000 square foot building dedicated to the care of the “whole person,” and will include: a 5,000 square foot Medical Center; a 5,000 square foot Housing Navigation & Case Management Hub; a 5,000 square foot Social Science Research & New Program design space; and a 200-seat Worship & Spiritual Life assembly space.
"I engaged the Salvation Army to help them raise money for this project because I know they are sincere, dedicated people and, above all, great stewards of the donor dollar. If they have any expenditure of $1,000.00 there is an actual team meeting about it before the money is spent,” Warner explained. “Couple that with an astronomical 40 percent success rate in their drug and alcohol rehab program and it was a no-brainer to want to help."
Monty’s story began in Sumter, South Carolina, where his leadership qualities first emerged as he served as class president and held an officer position at Fishburne Military School. At the University of South Carolina, he developed skills that propelled him into a remarkable career in public service, culminating in his innovative efforts with The Salvation Army.
Warner began his political journey unexpectedly while a page at the South Carolina State House working for a Democrat state senator. He soon realized that his values were more in line with the deeply-held principles that had driven generations before him to succeed: individual responsibility, a commitment to freedom, and the belief that opportunity is a right for everyone. After taking the bold step of writing to then-RNC Chairman Lee Atwater, he received the prestigious Eisenhower RNC internship. This experience marked the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of public service, during which he came to play a key role in raising the funds necessary to help break ground on the Salvation Army CARI Center.
Monty’s journey to advocating for America’s homeless was a path forged through various positions that provided him with the knowledge and experience to create complex strategic partnerships. He started as a speechwriter for US Senator Paul Coverdell (R-GA) and later served as the finance director for US Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA). His commitment to public service and educating the public eventually led him to lead the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, where he championed intergenerational literacy and school choice.
"I've had the good fortune of working with civic and political leaders of all stripes at all levels over three decades, and a few common tenets have stood out to me during that time,” Warner said. “Keeping your word is an obvious one, but the fact is you have to actually like people and be genuinely interested in helping solve their problems. That attitude, or lack of it, comes out of your pores when you're talking with someone. Beyond that you have to understand people; where they live and not where you want them to be. If they don't feel heard—even if you disagree with them—you're not going to make much progress. As they say in AA, take the cotton out of your ears and put it in your mouth."
Monty honed his ability to achieve goals through the bridging of ideological divides after being recruited by the late conservative thinker David Horowitz to run his communications shop. This experience strengthened his commitment to protecting freedom while promoting opportunities for everyone. Despite his national roles, he regularly visited and remained closely connected to South Carolina, supporting his family, friends, and local charities.
As an entrepreneur, Warner founded a public relations and fundraising firm that promoted important causes such as fatherhood, epilepsy awareness, and charter schools. He also helped amplify voices through promoting bestselling works like Charlie Wilson’s War. In addition, he co-founded nonprofit legal foundations, one of which successfully overturned New York’s Blaine Amendment to open more charter schools, while another focused on addressing prosecutorial misconduct in Texas.
In 2016, Monty faced a challenge when he underwent a liver transplant, which tested his strength and resilience. However, while on his journey to a full recovery, he transformed his adversity into purpose. For over a decade since, he has worked in addiction recovery, helping countless individuals at detox and rehabilitation facilities.
In 2022, Charleston, South Carolina, again called Warner home. There, while honoring his commitments to his roles at the top-ranked Hotel California by the Sea Rehabilitation Center and The Salvation Army, he counseled those in his home state battling addiction. Through it all, Warner’s role in spearheading the $21 million campaign for the state-of-the-art CARI center stands as testimony to his dedication and highlights his ability to transform vision into reality.
"Amid a pretty chaotic culture I see numerous opportunities for a lot of productive changes to be made to benefit many,” Warner said. “It starts with leadership and, given what we have let fester as a society, strong, decisive leadership with the will to make things happen. That's what I do. I make things happen and I don't quit."
Lloyd Godson is an entrepreneur who founded who founded and exited GlideFast Consulting.
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