A woman was looking for a unique way to give back to the people in the community, so she decided to establish something that would benefit them.

Patricia Reed started the Harvest of Blessings food pantry at Spiritual Vision Church of God In Christ, in Niles on Wednesday, Dec. 8. The church is under the leadership of Pastor Elijah Thompson III.

“There are so many people in my community who are less fortunate,” Reed said. “They don’t have enough money to buy the basic essentials, such as food and clothes. My heart goes out to them, so I wanted to reach out to them. ”

Reed said her passion for the food pantry came from her own experiences and struggles.

“I was homeless once, and I remember living on the streets, begging for food,” she said. “I had to sleep in cardboard boxes, but one day, I prayed. I told God if he blessed me to get off the streets, I’d devote my life to make sure no one would have to go through the same thing I went through. ”

Reed said getting the pantry was easier than she thought.

“I talked to my pastor about the idea, and he liked it,” she said. “I kept announcing at church, and people started donating food. The pantry started filling up fast. ”

The pantry means more to Reed than just feeding people. She said it is a way of blessing people, and making sure that they don’t have to ever walk away hungry.

“It feels so good to see people who have to worry about not having enough to feed their children, walking out of the church with enough food to last a year,” Reed said.

Reed is asking for more donations to keep the pantry going.

“Although we have a lot of food in the pantry, we are always looking for more. I really want to keep this pantry open,” she said. “There are so many people going without food and clothes, and they need to know that there’s a place they can go for help. ”

Reed has some information for people who want to give donations.

“If anyone want to donate food or clothes to the church, we are located at 871 Carberry Rd., Niles. We would really appreciate it, and God bless you.”