“We lost a lot of food and the primary ministry here is serving free meals,” Schmitt said. There’s talk of an emergency food drive at Indian Hills Community College, but nothing definite.

Holm has suspicions about where much of the help originated. The center is in a unique place in Ottumwa. It has ties to the churches in the community, many of which have their own public service programs.

“I didn’t call anybody. I’m sure Capt. Jamie [Pennington, of the Ottumwa Salvation Army] started spreading word through the grapevine,” Holm said. Several churches have stepped in to ask how they can help.

No one is sure when the work will wrap up. Holm thinks the center will reopen by the end of the month, but he can’t pin down a specific date yet. There are inspections for building integrity and food safety still to come. The center must pass both.

Plans for the men’s shelter are also stalled. That effort must wait until the center is up and running again. Holm said there will be an impact on the shelter, largely because the center has a limited budget. Repairs will eat into that, even with volunteer labor.

But Holm said it’s a delay. The timeline may change, but the plans to reopen the kitchen and move ahead with a shelter will not.

Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com