A devastating incident like a fire could cause any organization to stop operations, but not the Apostolic Church of Jesus (AJOC) Food Pantry.
The Altamonte Springs feeding partner of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida recently reopened its on-site food pantry, after two years of rebuilding.
The pantry never stopped distributing food because the neighbors counted on ACOJ for food and hope.
“And we were out here the very next day,” said Herbert Bouey, who runs the pantry.
Second Harvest remained committed to ACOJ and the neighbors its serves throughout the recovery and rebuilding process by hosting regular mobile distributions. With the restored pantry, AJOC will be able to store and distribute a variety of nonperishable, fresh and frozen food more consistently to neighbors.
“This allows us to do some of the things we were doing before the fire such as home deliveries,” Herbert said. “We can take in a lot of extra food that we can store and preserve it better and not have to worry about it going right out. It’s great to be able to be inside once again.”
Neighbors like Mabel feel the impact of the food pantry in the community. She has been coming to ACOJ for three to four years for food and to take back food for others who can’t get there.
“It’s so wonderful when I come here,” Mabel said. “We come for ourselves, and we help someone else in the neighborhood. It’s wonderful to be able to help somebody. No matter what you get, there’s always enough you can share with someone else.”
The food pantry’s capability to store food and distribute more consistently is welcome news for Mabel, and she praised Herbert’s resilience and commitment to the neighborhood.
“It means they’re reaching out further into the world to help people who may need it,” she said. “I’d tell Herbert, ‘Godspeed and to keep on going. God wants us to serve humanity, and he’s doing a good job.’”
On the day of the reopening, cars wrapped around the building waiting to go through the food distribution line, a visual reminder of the heightened, sustained need for food assistance. And there were celebratory balloons on the refurbished building and refreshments inside for anyone who wanted to join in the celebration.
Herbert and other pantry workers gave tours, showing guests the newly stocked pantries and the new and operational refrigerators and freezers.
“It’s a great opportunity to be opened back up,” he said. “It’s exciting, too.”
The need in the neighborhood consistently increases, so reopening will help the pantry meet the level of need, Herbert said.
“Each and every time we open the doors, there are more people coming for food,” he said. “The need is increasing very much so.”
The Apostolic Church of Jesus in Altamonte Springs is one example of the 870+ feeding partner network connecting food from Second Harvest’s distribution center to kids, families and seniors facing hunger across seven counties.
