The Gospel Misson, Doing God's Work

MARIETTA, OH — There are a lot of people in Marietta and Washington County who need help. There are a lot of people in the area who want to help. The Gospel Mission Food Pantry is located at 309 Lancaster Street in Harmar, and it's the perfect place for both groups of people. They accept donations from the community, and everything is free. They have racks of clothes and stacks of canned food for anyone in need.

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Candy Waite is the Director of The Gospel Mission Food Pantry, and she’s here to help. “This is a community and a God ran food pantry. We rely and depend on the community to keep the food pantry going, so we can feed everybody who God sends through the door.” She says they usually feed between 200-300 people a week. “The numbers have dropped off somewhat since the stimulus checks and things like that have come out.”

Waite says this is not a food kitchen. “A food kitchen would be a place that cooks the food and hands it out like that. We are a place that gives people food and lets them take it home.” There are no requirements to get food at the Gospel Mission. “It’s a walk by faith and not by sight food pantry.” They feed anyone who comes to them. “It doesn’t matter where they live at, if they come here we’re going to take care of them.”

They help others and others help them. “We run solely on donations. We take food and we take clothing.” Everything at the Gospel Mission is free. “There’s no charge for nothing. Nobody gets paid here.” She says this is about giving our Lord Jesus Christ the honor and the glory. Waite says they accept prayers too. “Pray for us here at the Gospel Mission Food Pantry. Pray for the people that need help that they will see the love of Jesus Christ through the food pantry.”

She asked that folks pray that they continue to get donations like they have been. No donation is too small for the Gospel Mission Food Pantry. “It’s always something big. A pair of shoes, a can of beans or corn, it’s a big thing to someone who’s in need.”

They accept donations in the form of money too. “The moneys that are donated are used to buy food, supplies, we pay for the utilities here and that’s solely what it’s used for,” Waite says neither she nor her husband profit from financial donations. “Nobody gets paid here.”

As hard as Waite works for the community, she remains grateful that she’s able to do the work she does. “I want to thank everyone for what they’re doing to help us be able to help others. A little child just came in, about 10-years of age, came in to get food. And no questions asked we supplied her with her needs.”

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