OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Just more than a week after its main building in Osceola County was destroyed by fire, the Salvation Army is working to restore services to hundreds of people who depend on the organization’s help each day. Most of those services came to a halt when the fire happened.

What You Need To Know

  • Salvation Army is working to restore services to hundreds of people after its main building was destroyed by fire

  • The organization is still providing a lunchtime meal from the parking lot, but for now it can’t provide shower facilities and other services it once did

  • Salvation Army Captain Ken Chapman says Osceola County leaders have agreed to let them use a building in downtown Kissimmee that should be ready by January 2024

  • Chapman says the organization is also fast-tracking previous plans to build a larger Osceola County building, but that won’t be in place for likely a couple of years

The Salvation Army is still providing a lunchtime meal from the parking lot of its now burned-up building, but for now it can’t provide shower facilities and other services it once did.

Kissimmee Police arrested a man accused of setting the fire at the Salvation Army building. Cordearo Lee Mable is facing arson and burglary charges.

Salvation Army Captain Ken Chapman says Osceola County leaders have agreed to let them use a building in downtown Kissimmee that should be ready by January 2024. And they’re fast-tracking previous plans to build a larger Osceola County hub, but that won’t be in place for likely a couple years. He admits in the meantime, it’s a difficult situation.

“It’s been really difficult, and our staff is struggling to hold it all together,” Chapman said. “And we’re still processing all the plans we have to go through, but it warms my heart that we have a community where the businesses, the government and private people come together.”

The Salvation Army already feeds about 20,000 people at its Thanksgiving meal in Orlando, and it plans to welcome more than 100 additional people it serves in Osceola County to that meal. It will provide transportation for those people so they can join the meal in Orlando.

Giving the Salvation Army a helping hand

Dorian Coley is much busier than he normally is. His nonprofit Destination Life in Kissimmee is getting more donated clothes and other items, and handing out more to people since the nearby Salvation Army’s building was recently destroyed by fire.

“We’re just here to help, and when the fire happened at the Salvation Army, that was just our call to action,” said Coley, who is the founder and CEO of Destination Life. “So, we just had to step it up.”

Patrick Kennedy is now a Salvation Army volunteer, but he also knows the value of the services they provide.

“When you’re hot and sweaty, it can make all the difference in the world,” Kennedy said.  “A good hot shower and a nice good meal with some clean clothes can make all the difference in the world to you.”

For now, Coley’s nonprofit is feeding three times as much food as it once did to people who still need the help. And volunteers like Kennedy are stepping in to keep the help going.

“It’s frustrating, but the only other alternative is that if we don’t do this, they won’t have anything,” Kennedy said. “So, we have to fight the weather or fight whatever else we have to fight to make sure that everybody is fed.”