POLAND — God’s Warehouse Inc., housed at the New Life Church, 2250 E. Western Reserve Road, is approaching its 20th year of feeding the hungry and helping local families through tough times.

It started out small and has since grown to serve nearly 800 families and veterans each month.

The founders of God’s Warehouse are Anita and Norm Oles of Boardman. Anita said it began with a suggestion from a friend at church and nearly six months of praying about it.

“A friend suggested starting a food pantry because there weren’t many in the area,” Anita said. “We prayed about it and talked about it. Nineteen years ago we started it and served six needy families the first month.”

She said the pantry grew from that humble beginning. The six families helped that first year totaled 33 with all the children and adults counted. Those families were served by four volunteers.

Today, the pantry has 10 freezers, a refrigerated truck, and more than 90 volunteers that help serve families every month. It has gone much further than the Oles’ would have expected when they began the work.

“We prayed about it and were led to start God’s Warehouse,” Norm said. “I thought we could do it for five years and then we could move to Florida (and relax). Nineteen years later and we are still at it with no sign of giving up any time soon.”

The Oles devoted themselves to helping feed the hungry. In the past 19 years, the couple only missed two food handouts.

Anita added that the needs of God’s Warehouse have always been met. She has been successful at getting grants to buy freezers and even had some freezers donated.

The food pantry needed a truck and was able to come up with the $56,000 to purchase a refrigerated truck that can pick up food and keep it fresh.

When it comes to food, the pantry gets donations of food and has been fortunate enough to get grants from the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and the Youngstown Foundation. One recent grant was for $10,000 to purchase food.

The pantry is visited each month by two veteran groups. The first is Veterans Outreach from Liberty, which picks up food for 100 veterans and their families.

“That food is greatly appreciated,” said Veterans Outreach Vice President Robert Julian.

The second group is the Mahoning County Chapter of Disabled American Veterans. They pick up food for 30 disabled veterans, according to Anita.

The big handout comes on the third Saturday of the month. Anita said her small army of volunteers shows up and function like a well-oiled machine. Vehicles line up in the church parking lot and are checked in by showing their ID. Then they proceed through a maze where volunteers help place the food into the vehicles.

“You might see a new car or two, but the family just had a job loss that had them scrambling to put food on the table,” Anita said. “We don’t judge here.”

She said there is always a chance that one or two individuals are scamming the system, but the goal is in reaching that one family who is truly in need. That goal is what gives God’s Warehouse its slogan of “Ending hunger one family at a time.”

The pandemic did change the way the Oles has had to run things, but God’s Warehouse never missed a beat. Prior to the pandemic, the pantry would provide a hot meal the day of the food pickup. During and since the pandemic years, the pantry has been working at food distribution only.

Anita said in October of 2020, God’s Warehouse became a hub for the Assembly of God, and federal and state governments, when it came to food handouts.

“Over 11,000 families were helped in this area,” Anita said.

She said moving a large amount of food required more than just volunteers. She said one company dropped off a forklift to use and another dropped off a refrigerated trailer for temporary storage.

Other needs of the food pantry also have been met.

“We have tables and tents we were able to get through grant funds,” Anita said. “Last November we got a grant from Meijer in Boardman that allowed us to give out 700 turkeys. Everyone has been so generous to our cause.”

Even New Life Church goes beyond just providing a location. Anita said the church’s mission fund helps with the fuel bill to run the pantry’s truck. “It’s called God’s Warehouse,” Norm said. “Everytime we have a need, that need is met somehow, some way.”

For the future, the Oles’ are hoping to take God’s Warehouse to a new level. They are hoping to get a building of their own that can allow the pantry to continue to grow and serve even more.

Whether or not a building comes along, Anita said God’s Warehouse will continue its mission to feed the Valley’s hungry and needy.

How to help …

Those who wish to help God’s Warehouse can send donations to God’s Warehouse Inc., 7365 W. Parkside Drive, Boardman, OH 44512, or call 330-720-3222 for more information. God’s Warehouse Inc. is a 501(c)(3) and a community outreach of New Life Church.