Arkansas churches unite after plant fire puts 800 out of work
By Tara Little (Catholic News Service)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CNS) -- After a fire destroyed the Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Booneville, putting 800 people out of work, the community has pulled together to brave the economic disaster.
The recovery is being fueled by the Ministerial Fellowship, a group of 10 Christian churches, including Our Lady of the Assumption, from Booneville and the community of Magazine seven miles away.
Five days after the March 23 fire, the group opened the South Logan County Family Resource Center to help families hit with sudden unemployment. The Rev. Darrell Frost, pastor of the Booneville First Assembly of God Church, is treasurer and past president of the fellowship, which he said has been in existence for 35 years.
The resource center has a food pantry and offices for Cargill and the United Way. Volunteers are also offering counseling, both emotional and financial; job placement services; resume assistance; help with utility shut-off notices; and medical referrals, he said.
It is housed in a 7,800-square-foot medical clinic leased by Sparks Health System in Fort Smith. The hospital is allowing the fellowship to use the vacant building free of charge for six months, Rev. Frost said.
Glenmary Father Don Tranel, pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption, is a member of the fellowship. He said the resource center is a "one-stop shop" for those in need. All those who lost jobs are being directed to the center.
Vanessa Wyrick, executive director of the Booneville Development Corporation/South Logan County Chamber of Commerce, said Cargill was the largest employer in Logan County. With an overall population of 22,600, Logan County has two seats, Booneville and Paris. More than 4,100 people reside in Booneville, which accounts for 60 percent of the 800 lost jobs, Wyrick said.
The impact of the lost jobs will be felt for months to come, she said. "(It) is creating a ripple effect so that it's also being felt by the business community, the restaurants, the retail stores, day cares. It's also impacting the school system," she said. "When you have 800 people without a job, that's less money to go into the economy."
Father Tranel said his mission parish was hit hard as well. Of the church's 54 families, seven lost their jobs.
"The tragedy is awful because people are uncertain about their future, but having said that, it has really brought the community together," he said. "The ecumenical spirit is alive and well in Booneville."
After the fire, the ministers' group created the Cargill Love Fund to help the employees and their families through the resource center, Father Tranel said.
Father Tranel asked the Diocese of Little Rock for financial help, and Sister Mary Lou Stubbs, a Daughter of Charity who is director of Catholic Charities of Arkansas, secured a grant for $10,000 from Catholic Charities USA's Disaster Relief Fund.
Our Lady of the Assumption Parish donated 100 percent of its collection the weekend after the fire. Father Tranel's religious order, the Glenmary Home Missioners, the Knights of Columbus at St. Joseph Church in Paris, St. Anthony Church in Ratcliff and St. Jude Church in Waldron also donated, allowing the pastor to deposit more than $13,000 into the fund.
About 40 to 50 volunteers work at the resource center every day, Rev. Frost said. Now that it is open, the fellowship hopes to keep it open. The group hired a full-time director in early April.
"As far as the Cargill employees, I think they're seeing a community that's pulling together behind them," the minister said. "We are supportive of them, not only with our mouths but with our finances."
Aside from helping those in need, Father Tranel said the center has been "a tremendous ecumenical effort."
Before Father Tranel became pastor in July 2006, Our Lady of the Assumption had not had a resident pastor since 1972. Benedictine priests from Subiaco Abbey had served the mission but did not live in the community.
"It's blowing these people away to interact with Catholics," Father Tranel said with a laugh. "I am convinced that a lot of barriers have fallen, a lot of stereotypes have gone by the wayside in light of us having the opportunities to work so closely with the ecumenical community."
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops