WARM helping local families

Kimberly Reyes, Reporter

The Westerville Area Resource Ministry, also known as WARM, is a local food pantry that has been around for over 20 years. It provides not only food to citizens but also an abundance of oppurtunities.

“I just love the people at WARM. They take such good care of my wife and I. We recently celebrated 68 years of marriage together. Having fresh, healthy food from the pantry has been very helpful,” Carlton, a WARM client wrote as feedback on their website.  “ I look forward to all of my appointments. The joy I feel when I come to WARM is contagious. I can’t speak highly enough of this organization.” 

Julia Smith has been volunteering with WARM for five years; and a little over a year ago, she became the volunteer services manager. “ I organize, represent and schedule all volunteers, and participate in the management team,” she said. 

“I have loved to see how WARM has grown over the years,” Smith said. Outside the food pantry some new services include the childhood nutrition program, Way2Work, and client services. 

This holiday season WARM had their annual Thanksgiving Blessing event. “The weekend before Thanksgiving we distributed the components of an entire Thanksgiving Meal. This year we gave this away to more than 400 families,” Smith said. 

WARM also just had their Holiday Food Drive. “We doubled the amount we collected as compared with previous years,” Smith said.

Senior Jackie Saldana volunteered at both these events and loved her experience. “The  amount of donations people were dropping off was endless, and it felt amazing to see all the happy people,” she said. 

Saldana started volunteering at WARM in August.  “I’ve always wanted to help my community. The pandemic made me realize how lucky I am and I decided I wanted to help others who don’t have the resources they need,” she said. 

During her time there she has been working with the childhood nutrition program. “I package and go through an assortment of food items that will be distributed to students in the Westerville School District,” Saldana said. 

“My favorite memories from volunteering are the people I have met. I love hearing people talk about their stories and just how selfless they all are,” Saldana said. 

As the amount of items donated increases, the number of volunteers needed increases as well. “I always encourage everyone to come in and donate their time. I love volunteers that come in groups, or those who want to volunteer on their own,” Smith said. 

To learn more how to donate items or volunteer at WARM, visit 

https://warmwesterville.org/.