Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen hopes to re-open in the new year

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. --The Benton Harbor Soup kitchen moved to a new location around March. Since that move, they have encountered many struggles, stopping them from serving hot meals to those in need. Currently only bagged, cold lunches are available.

This all stems from the history of their current building. The space has been used for a restaurant, gas station and more. Right now, the biggest battle is with the state government. In order to open an engineering drawing had to be submitted, but due to the previous functions the building has had, no drawing has ever been made.

Now the soup kitchen was able to finally get that drawing and submit it to the state, and now it's a waiting game to get approved. Currently no food can be prepped or consumed inside the building. That has led the soup kitchen to handing out lunches at the door. Those bags have to be prepped at a separate location and then served at this spot.

ABC57's Sidney Moore talked with KC Gast, Trustee with the board of directors for the Benton Harbor Soup Kitchen Inc, who says, "We're hoping that we will have that in place by January, and that somebody in the state will walk that through so we can finally start serving indoor meals again."