COLUMBIA — A big building to tackle a big challenge in Columbia is coming to life for the first time.

KOMU 8 joined Voluntary Action Center Marketing Director Rachel McCain at the construction site of the Opportunity Campus, an $18.6 million project funded largely by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. It will be the first addition of new shelter beds in Columbia in more than two decades.

There will be 125 beds at the shelter in total, along with a state-of-the-art resource facility. The campus will also provide 150 meals a day.

"We exist because we want to empower possibility," McCain said.

The inside look revealed the setup and framework for various spaces across the campus, including a dining hall, a kitchen, a medical center, several campus offices and even a kennel for pets of

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