CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Clarksburg Mission has received a newly renovated kitchen that they dedicated to the late Levi Bender.

Levi Russell Bender was sixteen years old when he passed away on August 1 from a car accident. He was an avid Boy Scout, and he would regularly volunteer his time at the Clarksburg Mission Kitchen. After his passing, Levi’s parents Jennifer and Ronald Bender wanted to honor their son in a way that would give back to the community.

What was initially a floor renovation project, grew to be so much more as the Benders and the Clarksburg Mission were able to raise over $107,000. The kitchen was able to receive a new convection oven, stove, dishwasher and a multitude of workstations, all while the look of the facility has upgraded as well.

12 News spoke with Levi’s parents on how they hope the new renovations will impact the community.

“Food is healing, but it can’t feel good to come into a space that is just so uninviting and so inadequate and feel like people care about you and they want you to recover. And I just feel like this does, it says ‘you’re important’. And they are important, everybody is important,” Jennifer said.