QULIN, Mo. -- As Pat Ferrill stirred a large pot of beef stroganoff at 10 a.m. Monday, the new Qulin Nutrition Center had already produced about 80 meals for homebound seniors in eastern Butler County.
This second wave of meals would provide food for between 40 and 60 takeout and sit-down clients in the dining room.
Although some unpacking and painting is still needed in other parts of the Second Street building, the kitchen is fully operational.
"This is just us getting settled, getting people fed today. We'll have a grand opening at a later date," said administrator Suzie Leutert.
The first day at a new center more than two years in the making was marked not by a party, but instead by more hard work from board members and volunteers.
They closed down the original Qulin Nutrition Center last week, before Thanksgiving, and spent the holiday weekend relocating food, tables and chairs, and other equipment.
Leutert wanted to thank everyone who has helped since a grant of $250,000 was awarded in late 2015 by the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
The center has upgraded from a 1940s-era house of about 3,000 square feet, with additions, to a custom 5,000-square-foot location.
"The community as a whole, the board members ... everyone worked really hard to get to this point," said Leutert, adding, "There's still a lot of hard work to do."
Money is still needed to finish the floors throughout the building, and hopefully, one day pave the parking lot. A large marquee sign is also on the wish list.
Despite some unfinished projects, the new building is a dramatic improvement, according to staff and board members.
"Our old building was so obsolete and small, we just really did not have the facilities to accommodate the number of people we had," said Leutert. "We're just so proud that everything works."
More than $500,000 in donations were raised in 2014 through a DED tax credit program to help with construction.
The center also applied for and received grants to purchase a new walk-in cooler and walk-in freezer, as well as a convection oven, from the Cooper Foundation and MFA Oil, respectively.
A new 10-burner stove replaced the six-burner stove in the old kitchen. A new steam table will keep food warm on the serving line, and a new-to-them four basket fryer will help with fish fry days.
Fish served every other Friday and meatloaf are the most popular meals for the center, which can be the sole contact for some homebound clients and the only nutritious meal of the day for other seniors.
The building can serve multiple purposes, said board president Pat Bradley.
It can operate as a shelter, warming center and cooling center. Bathrooms were built with showers, with a shelter in mind.
Many residents, including Leutert, were without power for as much as a month after the 2009 ice storm, Leutert said of the need for a shelter.
The building is also equipped with a generator that can now keep all of the center operational. Another new-to-them find, it was purchased from state government surplus at a cost of $5,000. With just seven hours of operation under the Army, the equipment would normally cost $40,000, Leutert said.
The building can also be rented for private functions, and serve as a location for community events.
A Christmas bazaar with crafts and baked goods will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday to raise money for additional work at the center.
"I anticipate a lot of fundraisers," said Leutert.
The center has also partnered with the Qulin historical society to add some of the community's heritage to the new building, which is located between the middle school and city hall.
Volunteers are installing a bank teller cage inside the front door. It will be a volunteer desk and area to take payments.
The large oak counter and windows are believed to be at least 100 years old. The historical society has owned it since the late 1990s, but it has been in storage all that time.
It was once used in the Poplar Bluff Bank, located on Third Street in Qulin. The bank was about one-eighth of a mile from the new center. It closed in the early 1930s.
The center offers exercise classes and bingo on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
A separate thrift store is expected to open at a later date.
The city's food pantry also will operate from the building, but likely not until after the first of the year, Leutert said.