‘Home Town’ stars Ben and Erin Napier renovate Salvation Army shelter

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) - The staff at the Laurel Salvation Army got both manpower and star power Friday to help them upgrade part of its headquarters on North 13th Avenue.

Ben and Erin Napier, stars of the HGTV series “Home Town,” teamed up with Salvation Army volunteers to renovate a family and children’s room and build a new coffee bar at the Salvation Army’s shelter.

“It’s just wonderful to celebrate second chances,” said Erin. “That’s what we do with old houses, and that’s what the Salvation Army does; it gives people a second chance, and we’re happy to help.”

Ben added, “Walking through the shelter and seeing where families come and spend time, it’s hard to do that and not think about our families and our daughters. And so, we were excited to partner with them this year on this.”

The project added new couches, lamps and toys to the family and children’s room, which was also repainted.

“This is truly, truly a blessing from them,” said Salvation Army Capt. Keisha McMullin. “We know it will be a blessing for the residents that we serve here in our shelter.”

The renovations took less than a day to complete.

“They accomplished a lot in such a short, short time, and we’re very grateful,” said Salvation Army Capt. Jason McMullin.

The Laurel Salvation Army shelter has a total of 35 beds. Keisha said that, on average, the shelter serves from 12-20 residents per month.

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