Transcript Staff Writer
The food pantry at Alameda Church of Christ buzzes with activity on a typical Wednesday morning. Volunteers fill paper sacks with canned goods, loaves of bread and boxes of cereal and other dry goods from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.
The food bank provides groceries for about 20-30 hungry families every Wednesday.
"I think the size of it has tripled since I started here," said volunteer Charles Burks, who has worked at the food bank for about two years. "(the food pantry) used to be in the coat closet."
Alameda Church of Christ has plans to expand its food pantry with the help of a Community Development Block Grant from the City of Norman and a new walk-in freezer from the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. The church hopes to pour the concrete foundation for the freezer and have it installed in the next few weeks.
The church also eventually plans to create a separate building for its food and clothing ministry. Church fundraising efforts raised more than $1.55 million for the building project in 2006.
"With the new freezer, we're going to be able to start having frozen food and a lot more basic staples for people," said Alameda Church of Christ Decon John Helton, who oversees the food pantry's operations.
The 8'x6' freezer will provide much-needed storage for food items, Helton said.
"Theirs a lot of items available from the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank that we can carry now that we just weren't able to before because we couldn't store them."
The ministry will be able to carry more fresh fruits and vegetables with the new expansion, Helton said.
The church food bank also will expand its hours. Beginning in May 12, the food pantry will be open 9 a.m. to noon the second Saturday of every month.
"We felt like it may be difficult for some families to come in during the week
The ministry provides clothing, toiletry items and food for area families, as well as guidance and compassion, volunteer Dale Walker said. The food pantry's expansion and extended hours will also help volunteers tend to more people's spiritual needs.
Walker bags groceries and also offers prayer and words of encouragement for food pantry clients.
He will often take clients into a quiet room and sit and talk with them after handing them their grocery bags.
"It's a good way to help people and interact with them," Walker said. "We help them with their spiritual needs as well."
Alameda Church of Christ volunteers say they will benefit from the expansion as well.
"I think we get more out of it than the people we serve," said volunteer Grady Womack, who has donated his time to the food pantry for about five years. "It gives us something to do."
Brianna Bailey 366-3527 bbailey@normantranscript.com
