Good morning! Good news!
Many heartfelt and helpful conversations often take place on the front porch of a home, and a West Liberty area church is extending its front porch as a way to also touch local families’ lives through a new ministry that started about three weeks ago.
Pastor Bill Walker of Quest Community Church said the “Blessing Porch” located by door B of the church at 110 South St., West Liberty, is now serving as an outdoor food pantry that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The site easily accessible from south U.S. Route 68 enables individuals to “to take items as needed, and give as you feel led,” he said.
A variety of non-perishable food items have piled up recently, including canned fruits and vegetables and soups, along with the popular staples of peanut butter and macaroni and cheese. Other generous individuals have donated toiletry items, including diapers, shampoo and toilet paper.
“You never know when you try something like this, but it has worked out really well,” the pastor said Tuesday. “People have been really honest about it. We’ve never run out of food or had too much. It has been fun to watch what is coming in, and we’re so grateful for the community’s generosity.
“It’s a pretty simple concept, and we’re just making sure to organize the items about once a day.”
The church asks individual who donate items to ensure that the foods are non-expired and also unopened.
Pastor Walker related that Quest had learned about another church in Northwest Ohio that had hosted a small “blessing box” outside its doors, which sparked the idea for the Blessing Porch.
With unemployment in Logan County reported at 30 percent during April, the church wanted to step up to host this practical ministry that was so needed in the area.
The around-the-clock availability of the pick up area also has been ideal during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that participants who might want to limit face-to-face interactions can stop by anytime independently.
Anyone in need who might be passing by the church is welcome to utilize the Blessing Porch, Pastor Walker said.
“We have so many cars traveling through here each day along U.S. 68, so we’ve opened up the ministry to anyone — we’re not limiting it to just Logan County or West Liberty.”
Quest Community Church plans to continue hosting the outdoor pantry area for the foreseeable future during the difficult economic conditions, the pastor related.