Starting Aug. 1, The City Welfare Mission in Ironton will be closed as volunteers work to renovate the building, located at 710 N.  Fifth Street.

The work, paid for by the shelter’s general fund, will include painting and replacement of the building’s flooring, the first done since 2000, according to pastor and director Jeff Cremeans.

The building houses the organization, which has a noble mission.

In addition to serving as a shelter to the homeless, the Mission provides food and needed items to many families in the area.

Its annual Christmas giveaway has been going for more than six decades and distributes meal items and toys to hundreds of families each year.

We commend the group for making sure that the building, which gets a lot of use, will remain in shape to serve the public, and we know that volunteers with the group will be back in business as soon as possible.