When area funeral home owners Brad Yazel and Tom Starks purchased the Groner Funeral Home building back in 2009, they did so ensure that the century-old structure would continue to serve the people of Dowagiac.

Under the stewardship of the dedicated servants with ACTION (Area Churches Together in One Network) ministry, their vision continues to be carried forward to this day, with the building, located on Main Street serving as a hub for the organization’s numerous outreach efforts for nearly five years.

The ministry network is inviting the community to get a first hand look at the inner-workings of the ACTION Center, located at 301 Main St. during a special open house, which will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 18.

Members of the organization will begin presentations at 3 p.m., hosting tours of the renovated facility, as well as recognizing the volunteers who have contributed their time and energy to ACTION functions over the last several years.

“Because of the amount of money and effort that has gone into the remodel, we wanted to invite people out to see the facility, and more importantly, see what we’re doing in there,” said Jeff Neumann, chairman of the ACTION board.

The organization, backed by Starks, has spent countless hours over the last several years updating the look of the old structure. Among the work they’ve performed includes the installation of new walls, exterior siding and  windows, as well as making improvements to the building’s roof and redoing the foundation of its garage, Neumann said.

The collation of nearly a dozen local churches, which formed in 2009, was given oversight of the facility due to its need for a central location for volunteers and leadership to congregate, without having to use the property of one its members, Neumann said.

“Because of the facility, we don’t need to be tied to a particular denomination,” he said. “We can be seen independently, as ACTION ministry.”

Besides being used as a space for meetings or other internal uses, the ACTION Center houses the organization’s food pantry, which serves between 45 to 50 families during its weekly distributions, Neumann said. It also serves as the home of the Cass County Salvation Army office, and has been used to host functions by other local groups, such as Bridges Out of Poverty.

“That’s what ACTION wants the building to do, to be used for ministry,” Neumann said.

The group is eyeing other uses for the building as well, including having it serve as transitional housing, Neumann said.

After seeing the operation first hand, Neumann is hoping that visitors to Saturday’s open house will be encouraged to get involved with the ministry as well, he said.

“We can talk about ACTION until we’re out of breath, but when people see the building, when they see the materials, and see where we are, it will give them a better idea of what this group of volunteers is trying to accomplish,” Neumann said.