When Charles Spurlin stopped by a garage in Oak Forest that was to become a food pantry on Feb. 17, 2021, he was dismayed.

What was going to be the Hattie B. Williams Food Pantry was missing something.

A roof.

A massive winter storm dropped 21 inches of snow in the Chicago area and the garage, at 5213 W. 149th St., in front of the Valley Kingdom Ministries International church, was damaged beyond repair.

“For me, I always had faith,” said Spurlin, the director of operations for the project. “God doesn’t give you a vision without making provision.”

The old building was torn down, and a building constructed on the site.

On Saturday, there was a celebration for the grand opening of the new 60-square-foot pantry featuring joyful speeches, prayers, gospel singing, dancing, smiles and all-around good feelings.

Valley Kingdom Ministries Pastor Ray Bady, one of the speakers, was pumped up and yelled to the hundreds of people in the crowd, “Take about 30 seconds and tear the roof off and give God some praise!”

Well, there was a lot of noise, but the roof remained intact.

The pantry had a soft opening in recent weeks, but with what the 50-plus volunteers went through to make this happen, they felt they needed a little fun and happiness as they prepared to help feed those in need.

After all of the ceremonies, Spurlin took it all in with a smile.

“It was a long time coming,” he said as the first group of people lined up to pick up turkeys and a variety of other food stocked in the building.

About 200 people were expected to visit the pantry on the ceremonial opening day.

Spurlin said the damaged roof became a good thing because the Greater Chicago Food Depository came in helped provide big-time items, including walk-in coolers and freezers that may not have been possible at the original facility.

“We were blessed by the delays,” Spurlin said. “If we would have moved according to our plan, we would have missed out on what the food depository did.”

The Hattie B. Williams Pantry was started 25 years ago in South Holland. Williams died in 2014 and her sister, Anne Hill, took over and helped oversee the expansion with a bigger pantry in Oak Forest.

The pantry will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Fridays.

“We do this because we love the people we serve,” Hill said.

“We love what we do. I guarantee that if you ever volunteer in the pantry, I want you to know that if you come one time, you will be coming back because the spirit of Hattie is here.”

Hill said Williams was a great person who had a kind heart.

“She never mistreated people,” Hill said. “She knew everybody. She fed everybody.

“She was just the all-around girl. She was my best friend.”

Once Williams died, Hill said she knew she was destined to take over, though she admits she was a little apprehensive.

“After Hattie passed, I always tell God periodically that he has a sense of humor,” Hill said.

“After she passed, all of the notes that I took was like osmosis and all of it just came forward. With that being said, this is where we are today. We are serving all of South Suburban Cook County With all of this, we are just so amazed.”

Hill announced the Oak Forest pantry is going to be a hub for various area ministries and will deliver food to those ministries for distribution.

There is also an initiative proposed in which the pantry will feed migrants who have recently come to the Chicago area.

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.