Jefferson County Salvation Army continues service to community despite food pantry fire

ARNOLD, Mo. – It’s been a week since a fire destroyed the food pantry at the Jefferson County Salvation Army building.

Wednesday afternoon, we got a look inside the building that was once filled and now sits as an empty, charred room. There are plans to rebuild once they know more.

But for now, work continues the cleanup inside the church.

A section In the basement, however, was not touched by the fire, getting the "all clear" to have meals on Thanksgiving Day.

“Now we have seven parishes that come, and they each chose a Thursday, and they prepare the food and serve the food,” Karin Kostich, founder and director the James II Project, said. “We also have Chestnut Health, Compass, Salvation Army, and other ministries come and meet people while they’re here and try to help them out of the thing they’re needing help out of.”

The James II program offers free meals on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

Thanks to a collaboration with seven Catholic parishes nearby, the Salvation Army also distributes free meals on Thursdays as well, including for Thanksgiving Day.

Donations have been coming in left and right, with canned goods and food items to help refill the pantry.

“Yesterday we were here with the meal,” Kostich said. “Everybody was happy. It’s very important to have continuity because people expect it. I haven’t canceled a meal in a year and a half because we just know we have to be there for those people that just need it and sometimes rely on it.”

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