SOS Mission reopens in Stock Island

By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

KEY WEST | With help from the Knights of Columbus, the Star of the Sea Outreach Mission is back in operation at its Stock Island home, six months after losing its roof during hurricane Irma.

Father John Baker, rector of the Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea, blessed and rededicated the repaired facility March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. The mission is an outreach of St. Mary Star of the Sea that provides nearly two million pounds of food each year to people in need throughout the Florida Keys.

“The building was heavily damaged during hurricane Irma and we have been operating from a temporary location in Key Plaza since the hurricane,” explained Father Baker. “But were able to have our building repaired thanks to the efforts of the Archdiocese of Miami and the financial support of the Knights of Columbus.”

Tom Callahan, executive director of the SOS Outreach Mission and Star of the Sea Foundation, outlined the improvements in a thank-you letter to Dennis J. Stoddard, Supreme Master and disaster relief coordinator for the Connecticut-based Knights.

“Knights of Columbus support enabled us to rebuild our facility to current building codes, with a much stronger building less likely to be damaged by future storms,” Callahan wrote.

He noted that SOS Outreach Mission supplies 35 different feeding organizations in the Keys, including churches, childcare facilities, seniors’, children’s and veterans’ shelters. “Without our organization, approximately 10,000 low income individuals would continue to suffer from food insecurity,” he wrote.

Founded in 2006, SOS Outreach Mission has its roots in the soup kitchen operated by St. Mary Star of the Sea for more than 39 years. The soup kitchen, recently renamed the Martha Ministry, still serves a hot meal every day of the year except Christmas. It is located at 2700 Flagler Ave., Key West.

At first, the SOS food pantry distributed pre-selected bags of canned and packaged items. “We quickly realized this system was not sensitive to individuals’ cultural or dietary needs,” says the history posted on its website. SOS now operates a “client-choice food pantry,” which resembles a traditional grocery store where clients are allowed to select the food their families need. “This in turn leads to not only more satisfied customers but also a reduction in food waste,” according to the website.

SOS is now one of the largest food pantries in South Florida, and also unique in that more than 50 percent of the food it distributes is fresh produce.

In addition to the food pantry, SOS Outreach Mission houses a central kitchen that creates healthy snacks and meals for children in afterschool programs. The mission also partners with the Boys and Girls Club in offering nutrition lessons to children during the afterschool programs.

SOS Outreach Mission is located at 5460 Maloney Ave., Key West. For more information, go to www.sosmission.org.