The James II Project began as a vision in November 2022.  Our founder Karin Kostich had been leading the food giveaway at her church since April of 2020 but had always felt that God was calling her to meet people where they are and provide a meal to those who are unhoused or underprivileged.  As she began to pray about this she asked others to join her in praying and in February of 2023 she felt compelled to reach out to her local Salvation Army and meet with the director to find out how they ministered to those in need.  At that meeting she shared with the Director what she felt God was calling her to do and they toured the building.  Within minutes they were in the kitchen and she learned that they had not used the kitchen for meals in over 3 years.  As they toured the facility the Director shared his vision for what The Salvation Army could do in that site and asked when she wanted to begin serving meals.

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After that meeting Karin enlisted some great supporters of her vision to come alongside and be on the first board and then The James II Project was born.  They sold tshirts with the logo and pizzas to raise money to serve their first meal.  On June 6, 2023, The James II Project served their first meal at The Salvation Army in Arnold, MO.  There were 3 people at that  meal.  Fast forward to May of 2024 we partnered with New Hope Methodist Church right down the street from The Salvation Army to provide showers on the day we we serve our meals.  

As we have grown we knew the need of another meal per week to support our friends in need.  Father Michael Lydon the Vicar of the Southern Vicariate and another supporter of James II came alongside early in 2024 and began raising awareness and garnering support for James II in the Catholic parishes in our surrounding area.  As of September 2024 we began serving a second meal each week on Thursdays.  We average 40-60 people at each meal each week and at least 30 of those in attendance are in need of some sort of assistance.

In December of 2024 the need for a meal in Festus became apparent.  With the support of a grant from Jefferson Foundation, volunteers from Sacred Heart, Our Lady and Good Shepherd SVDP groups a new meal began in February of 2025 and we now served 30-40 people each Monday at First United Methodist Church in Festus.  We began praying in the Fall of 2025 about how we could reach out community fully and began looking at the Hwy. 30 corridor.  We met with Father Miller at St. Anthony's of Padua regarding serving a meal in their facility and began that meal in June of 2026.  We began with 2 people attending and quickly began serving almost 30 each week.

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Our community meal is more than a place to have good food, we have a watched these meals become their own communities.  Our friends come and play cards and share their lives with each other.  We offer access to community resources such as Compass Health, Chestnut Health, St. Vincent DePaul and many more to help our friends overcome whatever situation may be holding them back.  We also provide funding to obtain a birth certificate or ID.  These items are very important as our friends are unable to obtain employment, cash a check, open a bank account or even stay at a hotel if they have no ID.

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We look forward to serving our community in many more ways as we look to the future and what lies ahead.