This from the Kokomo Tribune: PERU, IN- Last year, Peru’s St. Vincent de Paul Society took ownership of the American Legion building located at 33 E. 6th St., which is part of the Downtown Peru National Register Historic District. According to Sara Welke, a volunteer at the store and the president of the nonprofit’s board of directors, said the nonprofit had been looking for a new space for a couple of years. Ever since Peru’s Salvation Army thrift store closed in 2016, donations and sales at their store have exploded. With the new, 10,000-squre-foot building, the outreach has the chance to grow even more, but there’s just one catch. The former American Legion facility is in dire need of some repairs. Welke said estimates show it will cost around $150,000 to fix the roof, bring the plumbing and wiring up to code and install a new boiler system. St. Vincent de Paul is pushing forward with raising the money through donations and grants. Welke said they’ve already received a commitment from the Northern Indiana Community Foundation for $15,000 divvied out over the next five years. The ministry is also working with the nonprofit group Rediscover Downtown Peru, which promotes the city’s downtown district. Another grant could be awarded through the federal government since the building is located in the Downtown Peru National Register Historic District. Indiana Landmarks, a nonprofit historic preservation organization, said the building is definitely deserving of the upgrade, and is helping St. Vincent de Paul raise the money. Welke said they hope to secure enough funding this year and move into the building sometime within the next two years. And once they do, the sky’s the limit on how much they can grow their local outreach.