PUXICO — A small neighbors-helping-neighbors group in Puxico is stepping into a gap left by the closure of a county food-assistance site, and board member Nicky Martin says the organization has now received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax status, with approval coming Monday, Nov. 9.
The nonprofit designation could not yet be independently confirmed. A search of ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer returns no record of a “Puxico Community Corner,” but the database was last updated Oct. 22 — before the reported approval — and the IRS Business Master File, which updates monthly, would also be expected to lag recognition by several weeks.
Stepping in after the Gospel Mission’s Puxico site closed
The group’s food work arrives at a moment of need in this Stoddard County town of about 870 residents. The Stoddard County Gospel Mission closed its Puxico satellite location on Aug. 31, 2026, after years of losses, shifting food assistance for roughly 106 families to its Dexter headquarters, the Dexter Statesman reported in July.
Martin has pointed to the Gospel Mission and its director, Kellye Shotwell, as “great resources” to the new group. Shotwell’s role is well documented: the Dexter Statesman quotes her as mission director, and the Gospel Mission’s most recent IRS Form 990, filed Sept. 1, 2026, lists her as treasurer, according to ProPublica’s record of the Dexter-based 501(c)(3), which feeds hundreds of families a month countywide.
The Community Corner’s reported headquarters at 310 B N Highway 51 sits at the same address long used by the Gospel Mission’s Puxico pantry — listed in earlier community resource guides as “310 Missouri 51” and “Hwy 51 across from Holloway Lumber” — consistent with the new group operating out of the vacated space. The exact “310 B” suite designation has not been independently confirmed.
Food distributions and a thrift store
Martin said the group’s inaugural food distribution was held Oct. 23, serving 55 people across 29 households, with a second distribution planned for Thursday, Nov. 19, a week before Thanksgiving. Those figures and the upcoming event have not been independently verified; anyone interested in attending is directed to watch the group’s Facebook page for updated times.
The organization’s existence and its food-assistance work were independently documented before the nonprofit news. In October, the ShowMe Times of Dexter reported that the WinGs — Women in God’s Service — donated toward the Community Corner’s purchase of a refrigerator or freezer, with thanks issued jointly by the “Community Corner Committee and the Puxico Chamber of Commerce.”
Martin also described a thrift store — a fundraising model the Gospel Mission itself has long used in the region — as thriving, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. The hours have not been independently confirmed.
Holiday plans
The group plans an open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, ahead of the First Midwest Bank Puxico Christmas Parade, which Martin said will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m., beginning at the Puxico school, traveling through downtown and ending at Veterans Park, where photographs may be taken with Santa.
First Midwest Bank operates a branch on East Richardson Avenue in Puxico and hosted the town’s “Country Christmas” celebration in December 2025, according to the ShowMe Times, making its sponsorship of a 2026 parade consistent with its community involvement. The Dec. 4, 2026, parade and open house details have not been independently listed.
Present board members are Martin, Patty Holloway, Brenda Foster and Peter Coutavas, Martin said. The organization’s mailing address is Community Corner, P.O. Box 133, Puxico, MO 63960.
Editor’s note: The reported 501(c)(3) approval is expected to appear in IRS tax-exempt records in the coming weeks; SEMO Link will update this story when the designation can be confirmed in public registries.