After narrowly escaping a devastating fire in her Toledo apartment in 2021, Angela Jackson, 69, fell on difficult times — almost losing hope.

“I was inside and saw flames from my bedroom,” Ms. Jackson said as she tearfully recalled Dec. 2, 2021, the day her home at 3540 N. Erie St. burned.

“I know my apartment, but I couldn’t see anything, and I couldn’t find the door,” she said.

Initially believing that she would not find her way out and would perish in the fire, Ms. Jackson said she heard a voice of hope.

“I heard God say reach for the doorknob now,” she said. “I grabbed it and that door opened.”

Escaping with singed clothing and burns to her hands and head, Ms. Jackson said she lost everything but is grateful for her life.

Like others with life experiences that warrant help and hope, Ms. Jackson is a regular attendee at the Art Tatum Zone’s Hope Center Food Pantry at 531 Pinewood Ave., which provides free groceries — and hope — from 4 to 5 p.m. every Tuesday.

“I love this place, they’re great.” she said. “I’m here every week, faithfully.”

Stocked with canned goods, frozen meats, baked goods and more, attendees can shop and choose the desired food items that meet their needs. The choice pantry has been a ministry of the Tabernacle Church for the past 13 years.

“We call our food pantry the Hope Center because we believe that connections with food and with people brings hope,” said Christine Sweeney, co-pastor of the Tabernacle Church and executive director and co-founder of the Art Tatum Zone.

Before the center opened on a recent Tuesday, nearly 50 people had formed a line in anticipation of receiving hope and help feeding themselves and their families.

“Every Tuesday, we’re here to provide food support, but also community,” Mrs. Sweeney said. “We think it’s important for our community to remain connected and also to get the food support that they need.”

For many, food insecurity — or the lack of consistent access to enough food — combined with the rising prices of groceries, adds a serious challenge to meeting basic needs.

“We’ve had thousands of conversations with our community members and they let us know what their hopes and dreams are and what they want for this community,” Mrs. Sweeney said. “So it’s not just about filling the need, it’s about reinspiring hope in people to dream for something bigger.”

Hope Center is open 50 Tuesdays out of the year, serving about 150 families each time, she said.

Since 2019, it has served 25,827 families, and about 75,090 individuals, providing 675,810 meals.

From January to October this year, the center has served 3,507 families, 9,598 people in all. Those served have come from 10 counties across 34 ZIP codes.

LauraRnee Kimble, of Toledo, said she appreciates that the food center offers the option to choose the items as an alternative to pre-packed boxes.

“Here you can pick out what you want, which is good because there could be things people are allergic to,” she said. “I don’t like to waste food, and this keeps waste down because you know what you’re getting.”

In addition to choice shopping, the Hope Center invites their guests to stay and partake in a meal, offering the opportunity to dine and have fellowship with its staff and volunteers.

Bobby DuBose, 52, of Toledo said he was unable to work after a serious surgery, and the center has served as a much-needed food resource and supplement.

“They provide food for me and my family,” he said while enjoying the meal provided by the staff, adding that sometimes his wife and 10-year-old son also come to the Hope Center for meals.

“Sometimes things are hard, but as long as you have some to help and reach out, they’re there for you,” he said.

On the first and third Tuesdays, the center offers a free mobile medical clinic during the pantry hours.

“I even got my coronavirus vaccine through them,” Mr. DuBose said. “They provide a nice service.”

The clinic staff is made up of University of Toledo medical students who physicians supervise. The team provides free access to primary health care, medical screenings, vaccinations, and medication refills.

“We work with the Community Care Clinic to make sure that their health is elevated,” Mrs. Sweeney said. “Everything that you can think of that you will find in a regular doctor’s office, they make available.”

Medical services that can’t be handled on-site are given a referral to access free service off-site, she said.

Offering programs and services that will serve to bring hope and help to the community is a large part of the center’s stated mission.

“We call it our ‘Hope Hub’ because we believe that anyone that comes through these doors — whether it’s for food support, educational support for the kids, or workforce development for the adults — we want to try to make those connections,” Mrs. Sweeney said.

“I like the fact that they help out low-income people,” Ms. Kimble said. “But you can be struggling even if you have a lot of things.”

While the Hope Center may not be able to do it all, it works to connect people to resources, Mrs. Sweeney added.

“They are great providers over here,” Mr. DuBose said. “Thank the Lord, and God bless them.”

First Published November 26, 2023, 4:00 p.m.