By Paula Scott
The Icon recently toured the Ada Food Pantry, a non-profit organization that provides food assistance twice a week from the Ada Presbyterian Church at 201 S. Main St., with its own entrance on Lincoln Ave.
Volunteer Beth Gray explained that the food pantry, created in 1976 and renovated in 2006 by local Habitat for Humanities volunteers, is experiencing an increased demand for services, likely because inflation has impacted so many households.
As the attached chart (on page 2) shows, demand was higher about five years ago. However, the local need is currently growing. In November alone, seven new families signed up for food assistance.
The Food Pantry is best known for the opportunity for income eligible individuals who live in Ada or Liberty Township, or who have an Ada postal address, to select items they need from the pantry shelves. Canned goods and other shelf stable items are available, as well as bread, eggs, milk, cheese and frozen meats. In November, a bonus frozen turkey breast is offered. At Easter and at the Fourth of July, ham and barbecued beef are available. The Pantry also provides gift cards to Community Market.
Amounts provided are based on the size of the household. The Ada Food Pantry is open Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m.-Noon.
To receive aid, residents should present an Ohio driver’s license or Ohio identification card. At each visit a current utility bill or rental agreement with an Ada mailing address must be presented.
The Ada Food Pantry also has a Backpack Program that provides food on weekends for elementary school students. Large black and yellow plastic crates are used to transport packaged food bundles from the pantry to the schools, a big job done by volunteers.
This program currently serves 55 children in the Ada Schools with food items that can be easily taken home for the weekend in a student’s backpack. This is a huge increase from the 29 students who were signed up initially in 2019.
The Food Pantry is supported by local food drives and by donations of items from groups and individuals, Gray indicated a table full of “Christmas Pretties” from the United Methodist Women; packets of self care items for women that are distributed in December.
Financial contributions are welcome and checks made out to “Ada Food Pantry” can be mailed to the Presbyterian church at 201 S. Main St, Ada, OH 45810. Online donations are also an option. Gray noted that a donation had just been received from the PayPal giving fund, from users who had searched for “Ada Food Pantry.” She says it’s “almost like a grant from a fairy god-person. It just appears.”
For groups and individuals interested in supporting the food pantry, Gray provided the following wish list and information:
Canned pasta
Canned beans
Canned soup
Boxed prepared meals (e.g., hamburger helper)
Boxed pasta other than spaghetti
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Please avoid glass jars, items packed in paper (like flour and sugar) as they develop rips and leaks with handling, and breakfast cereal. Currently the pantry has a surplus of cereal, which takes up a great deal of space.
Grocery shopping, stocking shelves, and assisting families and individuals on distribution days is also the work of volunteers. The Food Pantry is managed by several area churches and their parishioners:
Bethel Church of Christ
First Baptist Church
First Presbyterian Church
First United Methodist Church
Our Lady of Lourdes
Grace Gospel Church
St. Mark Lutheran Church
Sugar Grove United Methodist Church
To learn more about the Food Pantry, visit its Facebook page. For inquiries, email [email protected].
Beatitudes Community Center also provides food assistance to the Ada community. See our recent article.
